In the Dark of the Night
by Katzztar
Summary: The others always fought against demons,never ghosts. They had no idea of the truly frightening powers that ghosts possesses. But they are learning from the Kuwabara's journals. EDITED. important part in last chapter changed.
1. prologue

**In the Dark of the Night **

**Author: Katzztar**

**Summary:** Kuwabara has a difficult time with ghosts. It seems that the darker aspects of haunting plague him; just what does Kazuma goes through? What was his childhood like?

I am coining the term Spectral rape.

**Rating:** R for violence.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

**Characters:** From the anime/manga Kuwabara Kazuma, Kuwabara Shizuru, Yukina (all three missing in action but mentions throughout the story) Genkai, Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, Keiko, Botan and Koenma were created by Yoshiro Togashi.

The following characters are of my own creation and I own them.

The Kuwabara family-

Akira - father of Shoda, father-in-law to Amanda, grandfather to Kazuma and his sisters

Shoda - husband to Amanda, father of Kazuma

Amanda - daughter of Adam Holmes, wife of Akira, mother of Kazuma and his sisters

Jun - first daughter of Shoda and Amanda, sister to Shizuru and Kazuma

Yoshiko - third daughter of Shoda and Amanda, sister to Shizuru and Kazuma

Misao - fourth daughter of Shoda and Amanda, sister to Shizuru and Kazuma.

note- Shizuru is the second daughter, Kazuma is the fifth child and first son.

Others I have created

Adam Holmes - father of Amanda, owner of Bogy House, father-in-law to Shoda

Father Browning - Catholic priest that is discriminatory to foreigners and other faiths.

Shino - A Shinto priest

Kohaku - A Buddhist monk

Father MacGavin - the priest that replaced Browning, he's more tolerant to others

Brother James - A ghost of a 7th century monk

**Author's notes****:**

This is what we know about Kazuma's powers and his growing up (depending on where the excerpt came from)

From the subtitled Japanese Version (JV) show "It's true, when I'm assaulted by these chills--I see the spirits of the dead, and become paralyzed; and I get chased by the ghosts of nasty old women and stuff. Anyhow, bad things happen to me."

From the Dubbed English Version (EV) show "It's true, I've had the tickle ever since kindergarten--voices chasing me home at night--scary old women whisper things to me in my dreams, sometimes there nice, usually they're not." (Tickle? Tickle verses chills -- now you can see why most of the time I prefer the subbed over the dubbed --)

From the EV graphic novel #1 "I feel a chill.—Yeah, nothing good ever happens when I feel like this. Like I saw the will-o'-the-wisp, or got hit by sleep paralysis, or was chased by a grisly ghost."

**- Prologue**

_**Entry 432- age 14 - fall**_

_**Return of the Chills**_

_**Well, Urameshi is now back among the living. No temporary 'soul charge' for a day but honest to goodness official one of the living. I have mixed feelings about it. Yeah I know it's funny, I wanted him to return to life. But now that he has, well I miss his spirit hovering around. He doesn't realize it but I could see him and a vague image of a girl that sometimes was with him. Even in death, Urameshi has these vibes to him, the kind that says he's a fighter and it's best not to mess with him. There's something more ... Whatever it was that I could feel from him before, something that feels not normal it's stronger now. It's hard to put into words but I've never felt that type of energy before. It's like something's sleeping inside of him and now it's stirring as if it wants to wake up. Ah, I better get back to I was saying. His spirit coming over to my place, well it kept most of the other ghosts off my back, the weaker ones anyway. They didn't want to mess with him. It's that strange vibes that's not awake that's scaring them.**_

_**It's funny in a way since he's not that powerful as a ghost, only a category 1, barely 2 when he got really angry, but his potential ... that what's scary. As a ghost, his potential shines brighter than it did in life and that's one reason why the other ghosts don't want to mess with him. The second reason is the aggression, even in death Urameshi is really aggressive. This potential isn't a high amount of psychic powers. It's hard to pin down but the closest I can describe it is a raw strength of spirit. It's like his insane strength of his physical form is mimicked in a ghostly form. It's hard to pin down. I think those odd vibes are part of it.**_

_**But now that Urameshi is gone, they're returning. That has me scared. Yeah, I said it. I, Kuwabara Kazuma, am scared. I once told Urameshi that nothing he can do would make me scared of him. I spoke the truth, why should I fear the living when it's the dead that has caused me the most grief. They're the ones who hold the greatest power over me. **_

_**When you think of your childhood, what's your earliest memory? Do you think of the time you learned how to ride bicycle, your mother or father at your side after you fell? How about playing hide and seek with the other kids, did you hide behind a tree? Ah, the touch of a mother's sweet lips as she kisses the top of your head, telling you there's nothing to fear.**_

_**Such innocent and fond memories are not for me. Oh no, I agree with that western song, although for different reasons than what the song was written about.**_

_**Hell is for children.**_

_**It truly was hell for me.**_

_**For in the dark of the night, they came and made my childhood hell.**_

_**In the dark of the night, they return once again.**_

_**Oh damn it all, they're her**_

The sound of grass crunching alerted him that he had a visitor; still he had no time to hide the journal that he was reading.

"Yo, Kurama, what are you reading?" Urameshi Yusuke tried to smile but worry twisted it into a grimace. No one could get Yusuke to smile this past week, not even Keiko.

Marking the page, Kurama closed the plain red-bound book. "I am searching for clues." He saw by the raised eyebrow that Yusuke wanted to know more. With a sigh, Kurama made sure to protect the book from any outburst that may happen. "This book is one of three journals that Kuwabara-kun and his family has written in for years it seems."

"Give it here!" Yusuke demanded with an out stretched hand.

With a quick side-step, Kurama was out of reach. "Ah, don't be too hasty Yusuke. We don't want a repeat of what happened with that drawing."

"Hell, that picture needed to be destroyed! You saw how fucked up it was! What twisted bastard would draw something like that?" Yusuke exploded, his blood boiling as he thought of the drawing's subject matter.

Even the ancient Kistune's soul was chilled by the grisly art. "As disturbing as it was, that drawing could have contained some clues. This journal may also reveal hidden clues. I suggest that you do _not_ destroy it." Kurama said in a cold voice as he re-opened the book to the marked page.

At Kurama's reprimand, Yusuke shrank some. "Geash okay! I won't blast it to bits this time." Noticing Kurama's gaze at the page, Yusuke began to read the entry. "This must have been right after I returned to life the first time. What the hell is this 'odd vibes' he goes on about? Do you think…no way. He couldn't be describing my youkai heritage. What do you make of the last line? What did he mean by 'They're her'?"

"Actually, I think he meant to write 'they're here'. See the slash line at the end? It may have been that he was interrupted while writing." Marking the page, Kurama closed the book and held it up to show Yusuke. "That entry was numbered 432, and is in the last third portion of the book. There are many other entries before this."

"So?" Staring hard at his friend, Yusuke tried to grab the journal back. "What about after that? Are there entries during the time we were in Makai and not in contact with Kuwabara? That's what we need to know!"

"There are entries afterwards and including the time we were gone, Yusuke. However I couldn't really make sense of them. That is why I'm going through all the entries. We need to understand the full situation." Refusing to wilt from the former detective's glare, Kurama pointed to the entry they just read. "Kuwabara-kun clearly states that he has had trouble with ghosts throughout his childhood. We should start at the beginning to find any clues to what happened."

"We need to find the demon responsible before it's too late!" Yusuke was at his wit's end. He knew they needed clues to what happened but he had no patience while a friend is in need. "We have to find him before ... before ..." His voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence of 'before it's too late'.

With a deep breath, Kurama turned to face his long time friend. Having Yusuke in panic mode while searching for clues is not helpful. "Yusuke, I'm not certain that a demon is responsible for this. These journals are making me think that it there's a strong possibility that it was ghosts that did that."

Both boys looked to where Kurama was pointing. The lot where the Kuwabara residence once stood was now in total rubble.

TBC..

This may sound choppy but the present activity is not the main focus of the story, the journal is the main focus in the first part, as they discover the true power of ghosts and find out what sort of childhood Kazuma Kuwabara really had. They will start to read the journal from the beginning, which was started by his mother, then there are entries by his father, once Kazu is old enough to write he will be making his own entries.

This is not as easy as it sounds. I will in effect be writing mainly in four perspectives; Mother, father, Kazuma as a child and then the teen Kazuma. There may 'guest' writers at times, someone filling in for the family. I picture his mother as using 'proper speech' heh, and the father is more relaxed in speech. I will be jumping from journal entry to entry, there's no way I'll write over 400 entries! But I can go from 12 to 43 etc.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

Yusuke looked over at Kurama who was holding on to the journals. "You did find Hiei in the Makai, right?"

"No." Ignoring Yusuke's sputtering, Kurama continued his explanation. "Hiei was already in Ningenkai and he found me. It seems that he had some imps watching over Yukina. The imps failed to report back to him so he sent another one to see what was wrong."

"I came as soon as my imp returned with the information that Kuwabara's house was destroyed." Hiei glowered as he entered Genkai's shrine. "I went to go look at the house myself. My Jagan eye could find no trace of Yukina, Kuwabara or his sister."

"Kurama!" Botan yelled as she ran into the room. "We found the first one!" Catching her breath Botan told them that the agent that was sent into England undercover had obtained the first journal at the gates of house where Kuwabara was born. "The agent said that a ghost just handed it over to him, saying that they couldn't allow him to enter the house itself at this time. We have no idea what that means. Koenma-sama is using his resources in Reikai to search for clues about that and anything that has to do with Clan Kuwabara. It's not as easy as it would have been three years ago before King Enma disrupted Koenma's support system in Reikai."

"Hold on, Kurama if you didn't have that one how did you know that there were three of them?" Yusuke listened as Kurama stated that the journal they read out of earlier was titled as Volume Three. "Oh, of course."

"Shut up, all of you and let's see how the first journal begins." All witty comments died as Genkai started to read the very first entry.

_Entry 1 _

_I am Kuwabara Amanda. I am starting this journal to record the supernatural events that seemed to have increased during my latest pregnancy. I hope to find a clue as to why this is happening._

_Perhaps I should start at the beginning. My mother was the great-granddaughter of Virginia Foxx. My father was the grandson of Dr. David Holmes. Therefore, I am descended from two lines of famous western spiritualists. My husband is the head of an ancient line of Japanese spiritualists. All four of our daughters are showing promises of psychic powers. I am only six months along in my latest pregnancy and the entire family is swearing that my unborn son (Yes! It's a boy this time!) is already showing signs of a strong psychic ability._

_That, I fear, is where the trouble begins. I am currently sitting in the rose garden of my father's manor in Essex, England. There is no wind, the air is still, yet the garden gate is swinging back and forth. As I write these words there are small foot prints appearing in the dirt not but ten feet from me._

_Pardon me; I took about fifteen minutes to give my attention to the ghost. It is Abigail, a child that died in a fire in 1209 when she was only seven. It is rare for Abigail to approach someone, even if they are psychic. _

_So far, she is one of the gentler ghosts of this old home. There are many ghosts, ghost balls and ghostly happening that can be called a haunting presence. The haunting presence is best described as a haunting but not of a persona, such as the sound of footsteps. Last week, every mirror my husband would look into would crack; every mirror had the same exact pattern. Just last night there was another ghost ball that was floating about. At first we thought it was harmless like the others that have followed me about. However this one's energies were more - vibrant, as if it was a higher energy-wave. It is difficult to put such psychic sensations into words. Spoken language is so limited when it comes to expressing psychic phenomena, that is why I prefer to speak to my dearest husband and children with my telepathy, it conveys so much that words cannot._

_I digress, the newest ghost ball was more energetic and larger than the prior ones, and it was also a dark read hue--_

"Oh no!" Botan cry interrupted the spell of silence that had fallen within the room. "That's not good at all!"

"Why don't you shut up so we can hear what happened!" Hiei glared at the guide. As much as he hated to admit it, this was something he wanted to hear. The Jagan eye may allow him to control minor ghosts, but he only got the Jagan less than eight years ago. He still has little experience with ghosts, and none with the greater powers of the incorporeal.

"You don't understand, Hiei! A ghost ball that meets that description is not good; one that evil shouldn't be free in the Ningenkai in the first place! Spirit World takes care of those threats here in the East; those types of spirits are seen as a threat greater than many of the demons loose in Ningenkai." Botan fretted over this fact. 'I didn't get a chance to say is that a ghost ball of that magnitude is so rare that it could be that 500 years may pass before a dying soul transforms into it. Although there have been a few truly powerful hate-mongers in the west in the last half-century alone, such as that Hitler guy. Even a man thought to be on the 'good guy' side could have that fate if he let paranoia dictate his actions, such as that McCormack ... no, I think it's McCarthy ... did in the United States during the West's 'Cold War.'

"Okay dimwits, I'm reading again. If you talk, I'll physically toss you out!" No one wanted to test Genkai's threat.

_The newest ghost ball was more energetic and larger than the prior ones; it was also a dark red hue. As I descended the stairs it floated up to the ceiling. I had reached the foyer when I heard the tinkling of the crystal chandelier. I heard a ghost's cry out in warning and an unseen force knocked me to the side and out of the way of the falling chandelier. If the spirit didn't help me to get out of the way, I would be under that five foot tall wreck and crystal shards would have pierced my flesh!_

_That has not been the only attempt to harm me. A week ago I awoke to stinging sensations on my stomach. When I removed my nightgown, I had found claw marks. I am beginning to suspect that I am not the true target. I fear that these attacks are actually centering on my unborn child. I am merely 'in the way', sort to speak._

TBC

--

Author's Note As I often do, I use the manga more so than the anime. In both anime & manga Yukina comes to stay in the Ningenkai while the three demon boys go to the Makai. In the anime she stays at Genkai's temple but in the Manga Yukina lives with the Kuwabaras! So in my story Yukina was living at the Kuwabara residence.

Before anyone flames me about Hiei It's stated that Hiei got the Jagan in order to find his sister, Yukina was a prisoner of Tarukane's for 5 yrs. Add the 3 yrs. in the Makai8 yrs. If you don't like my math _**TOO BAD **_it's MY fic _**;p**_

In the graphic novel YYH #3 pg.120 it says this about the Evil Eye (aka Jagan Eye) exerts control over lesser demons, ghosts, and humans at a glance.

Reviewers, Good news and Bad news

Several were right , several were wrong. Amanda Kuwabara is Kazuma's mother, not his grand or great-grandmother. Virginia Foxx is the great-(certain odd years)grandmother.

It's his mother while she is pregnant with him. So yep he's a powerful boy all right. I'm playing on Genkai's statement of how Kuwabara Kazuma has unparalleled spirit awareness. The way I look at it, if he has that powerful of ESP and psychic ability then there are bound to events in his childhood.

Children often have experiences with the psychic and supernatural while they are too young to be 'taught' that such things such as ghosts don't exists. What it really is they are more aware of it, as adults we are 'taught' that such are nonsense so we close our awareness to such events.

As for the differences between the mother & father, it's more like she would use proper English and say ' I would not' while he would say 'I wouldn't'

while lil' Kazuma (oh about age 5-8) would say 'I won't' while the teen Kazuma would use slang or simplify things by saying 'No way!' See its make writing more interesting when you add personality to their talk.

Yes I'm planning on setting you all up, get you to like these OC's of mine then I'll make you all cry. Telling you this now is also part of the plan to add tension XD (maniacal laughter)

WHY I GAVE MRS.KUWABARA A WESTERN NAME

I hate giving Japanese characters that make up western names. To me there HAS to be a reason why a family that has everyone else has Japanese names while one does not. I was turned off an otherwise good fic when they revealed that OC that was Kagome and Souta's sister was named Crystal...- Kagome, Crystal, Souta... it doesn't work! Not unless there's a good reason, was she adopted? Or had a different father, from the west? The story never said, so I was turned off of it.

I had several reasons why I named Kazu's mom Amanda. As anyone who's familiar with my stories knows, I always give Japanese names to my OC's. Until now. I have a good reason, as you should have guessed, Kazuma and Shizuru's mom was a westerner. Why make her a westerner?

1-family powers-Both Kazuma Shizuru have the ability to sense ghosts and other various psychic powers. Since it seems to be a family thing, it allowed me to use some figures that dealt with ghosts and make them ancestors of the siblings. I used western spiritualists since I can't find good names for Japanese heritage, I don't name anyone but Mr. Kuwabara being from a strong line of psychics from Japan.

The Fox sisters - they were famous/infamous spiritualists of the heyday of spiritualism in America in the 1850s. Some say they were frauds, saying they were using the clicking of their joints to impersonate the knocks of the ghosts supposedly communicating with them. Within the context of this story they were not fakes.

D. D. Home was a very charismatic spiritualist and worked with a few psychic investigators. He was born in 1833. He was famous for levitation, and doing so in front of several eyewitnesses. Once while in a trance, he levitated and floated out of a second story window and re-enters another. He claimed many other spiritualists were fakes, the one he said was genuine was Kate Fox -(I forgot her married name that was added after Fox)

2-heritage Kazuma looks like a westerner, expect for the eyes. He's very tall. At 14 he was nearly 6 feet tall. My story happens at the end, after the three others had stayed in the Makai for the full 3 years. So Kazuma & Yusuke are 17. While Yusuke's awaked demon blood may make him age slowly. Kazuma is human, and would age at the normal rate... therefore, in the real world; he would have grown in those 3 years. He's bound to be taller at 17 than he was at 14, so that means he's well over 6 feet tall, maybe just under 7 feet or over XD.

Kazuma has the palest skin out of all the guys and with the light red hair... he looks western. It's the Asian slant to the Kuwabara siblings' eyes that show they do have Japanese blood.

So I used my author's rights to make them half-Japanese, half- gaigen (foreign)

3-Having one of his parents as a westerner, I've not seen it done before ;p

Virginia Foxx is based on the three sisters Leah, Maggie, & Kate Fox .

David Holmes is based on Daniel Home, better known as D. D. Home.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_Entry 8_

_By Amanda, during the late winter._

_As I stated in the last seven entries, things were quiet for a time. That silence ended early this morning. It happened as we were sitting at breakfast. My eldest, Jun, gave a cry of alarm. As I looked over, a ghost was knotting her hair. That in itself was not what broke the prior trend. For it has happened before, both Jun and Shizuru, my second daughter, have had ghosts tie knots in their hair on several occasions. But this morning while the mischief-making spirit was knotting Jun's hair, another ghost appeared._

_All that was seen of the vile spirit was a sickly white hand and forearm. By the size of the appendage, one could tell that it was male. After frightening off the mischievous one, the new ghost hoisted Jun by her hair several feet off the floor!_

_Amidst poor Jun's screams, I could hear something else. I'm not certain since there was such a ruckus. The entire family was screaming, yelling or sobbing. But there was something else that should not have been there. _

_It was very soft but I swear I heard a man chuckling at Jun's plight!_

_It dropped her quite unexpectedly while her feet were four feet above the floor. Thankfully, my husband, Shoda, had grabbed hold of her legs scant seconds before the hand let her fall._

_As I stated in the first entry, haunting are not new to this old manor. However, all previous haunts were either harmless like Abigail, merely mischief-makers such as the ones that knot the hair, or unusual occurrences such as the breaking mirrors._

_There is the Lady in White, all she does is walk down the eastern hallway on the second floor. In the attic is a ghostly cat that hisses at any girl, it's Sir Nickolas, my grandmother hated cats and consistently kicked him, and the poor thing hated all girls afterwards. No one can ignore the laughing boy in the Solarium, he is never seen, merely heard. There are more ghosts that have been sighted or heard than that._

_However, the claws, the large ghost ball and now this ghostly arm, these are far more hateful than the Irate Monk in the herb gardens. At least the he only stares hatefully, he hasn't attacked anyone in the 600 years that he's haunted these grounds. I always suspected he's upset because a manor was built on the lands where his monastery once stood._

"I don't know about the rest of you but I'm getting hebbies-jebbies." Yusuke grumbled as he rubbed at the goose bumps on his arms. "I can't' believe that a ghost story is getting to me."

Botan slightly frowned as she pointed a finger at him. "That's because this isn't just any 'ghost story', it's a record of what really happened to our missing friends during their childhood." She was not angry at him really, just annoyed that his male 'macho' prevents him from saying how worried he's getting due to the journal's content.

_Entry 9_

_By Amanda , late winter_

_The haunting is getting worse. Last night we were woken up by a dreadful screaming. It seemed to originate from the second floor sitting room. When Shoda went inside to investigate, unseen hands picked him up and tossed him across the room! _

_The pale arm appeared at the breakfast table again this morning. It again picked Jun up by her hair. This time it started to yank her up as if it was flexing its arm and poor Jun was a weight. Her scalp is so sore right now._

Genkai flipped through a few pages. "The next three entries are the same. Mainly the father and Jun being thrown across the rooms. The mother getting a few more scratches. Ahh, it finally introduces the last two sisters."

Hiei shared a look with Kurama at Genkai's last sentence. Both wondering how she knew there were two more sisters when they just recently got the first journal. 'Did you come across any mention of these other two sisters in the few pages you read in the third journal?' he mentally asked Kurama.

'No,' Kurama replied with a thought. 'In fact, this sister Jun was not mentioned at all, nor the parents. The only family mentioned is Shizuru.'

_Entry 13_

_By Amanda , last day of winter_

_Each night the screaming from the sitting room continues. My beleaguered family hasn't much sleep of late. Everyone is suffering from the lack of sleep._

_Until this evening the ghosts attacked only the eldest of my four daughters and my husband Shoda, with only minor incidences happening to me. The small scratches are nothing compared to poor Jun being tossed about the room!. About five in the afternoon my third daughter, Yoshiko, came into the solarium crying hysterically. All I could make out was Shizuru and the baby are bleeding in the western sunroom. I ran as I quickly as I could while telepathically calling for Shoda. The sight I saw when I entered the room…sweet heavens, it was a chilling sight that will haunt me to the day of my death!_

_Shizuru was stuck on the ceiling, unable to move except her eyes. It is if whatever specter held to the ceiling had frozen all muscles allowing only her eyes to move. I followed her horrified gaze to see where her little sister, Misao, was. To my horror, Misao was dangling in midair. It was as if some malicious ghost of a puppeteer had attached strings to my baby and using her as a marionette. Her mouth was open but no sound was being emitted. While both were being held I could see four bloody lines appear on various parts of their bodies. It was as if a ghostly set of claws ware raking across their flesh. _

_Do you have any idea how ghastly it is for a mother to see her children in such a plight and unable to help them? I have never felt so helpless. My daughters needed me and even with my psychic abilities I did not have the strength to aid them! When Shoda appeared he screamed "Release my daughters!". Surprisingly, the malevolent force did so, although it meant that Shizuru fell from the ceiling and Misao fell from midair. Both of my dear daughters have suffered injuries from the falls. Shizuru was knocked unconscious and her left arm was broken while Misao's leg was broken. _

_My father has decided to call in a priest. Shoda called his father in Japan right after the incident. Akira, my father-in-law, boarded a plane this very night and will arrive in England tomorrow._

--TBC--

NOTE

I am NOT a doctor, I am merely writing for pleasure. Therefore what I write is PURE FICTION.


	4. chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_ NOTE I am NOT a doctor, I am merely writing for pleasure. I try to make things realistic but lack the years of medical school. Therefore what I write is PURE FICTION.

As the sun rose the occupants of the shrine gathered in the enormous room. "Okay grandma, we got some sleep like you advised, now let's finish reading the journals. Better yet hand over the three and we can read them at the same time. We need to speed up reading them if we going to find Kuwabara, his sis and Yukina!"

A quick punch on the back of the head brought Yusuke out of his rant. "I already told you dimwit, rushing into something you know nothing about can lead to disaster. We are reading the journals, out loud and in order, so everyone can learn of whatever went on. I know a little of the Kuwabara's history but I didn't know the details of these events before he was born."

"You talk as if you've known them for some time Genkai." Kurama commented as he watched the aged psychic sip her tea.

"That reminds me, back at the Dark Tournament, Shizuru-chan did say that she's known Genkai for a long time." Botan chimed in as she sat down. "How long have you known them?"

Genkai sipped her tea without looking up. "I first met the siblings when Shizuru was ten and Kazuma was four years old."

"How's that? Kuwabara acted as if he didn't know you during your little tournament. He knew of you but not you personally. And you sure didn't act like you knew him!" Needless to say Yusuke was confused.

"He was too young to remember me. Remember dimwit, I didn't learn your names until the semi-finals. As such, I didn't realize that the lanky kid he was then was the frightened little boy I took care of for a year." Genkai ignored their questions of why the Kuwabara siblings were with her for a time. She only commented that perhaps they would learn it in the journals…if they would get to business and start reading.

_Entry 14 _

_by Amanda, First day of Spring_

_Dear gods, I thought this day would never end! I had thought that prior haunting were horrible enough. They were different than the arguments that happened today. I never thought that having people of three different faiths would be so taxing on a person's patience. It seems as if the ghosts are merely taunting these religious men though. Today only minor occurrences happened._

_The priest my father had contacted sent over another priest that ranked under him this morning. _

_He was not here but half an hour when the first disturbance occurred. We were discussing the history of the various haunting. We wanted to inform the priest of which ghosts were harmless and which were the ones we wish to be gone. The priest, Father Browning, said that all ghosts are spirits that lost their way from religion. Actually his wording was more along the lines of "They are heathen souls that have wandered away from God's path." I am getting the impression that this priest is not tolerant of other religions. We were talking in the living room when some inhuman force shattered all six windows, all at the same time! Then every book went flying about the room. When the priest, Father Browning, said it was because the fiend was fearful of the Almighty God, all the books fell and a sinister laughter filled the room._

_Around three P.M. my father-in-law Akira, arrived. Not only did he bring a Shinto priest but also a Buddhist monk! I do not think the Catholic priest, Father Browning, approves of the new arrivals. He frowned through dinner and declined invitations to indulge in small talk. After dinner we retired to the living room once again. Upon entering the room, Kohaku, the monk, said a fearfully strong spirit is there refusing to rest and move on to the afterlife._

_I pointed out that previously we had no troubles with the prior ghosts, that these malevolent spirits are new. That's when Shino, the Shinto Priest asked for permission to place his hand on my swollen belly. He told me that my unborn son had a strong life force and potent psychic powers. He explained that may be why they are focusing on the children. Ghosts are usually separate from the living world and the living are not aware of them. Psychics have living and mental energies that are stronger than the average mortal, which is what allows them to be aware of ghosts. This mental power, (it's identified as a part of spirit awareness in Japan) is recognizable to ghosts. They know the stronger it is in a person, the more aware that person will be of ghosts. However, Shino told me, that there are some evil ones that actually eat or consume the energies to become stronger. If they consume all the psychic energies a person has, then that victim will die, not only in the body but their soul would deteriorate as well._

_Some people get confused at the wording. Please allow me to clarify. This type of 'eating' does not mean the ghosts consume the flesh, that is the work of ghouls. Ghosts are not tangible, these malicious ghosts simply drain energy._

_I already knew that there are rare ghosts that are not tied to a location and some sort of disturbance could cause them to manifest in the psychical world. Or that they could be 'dormant' for years after their death before appearing. Shino said that there are some that travel the around the globe, drifting on the winds waiting until they sense a person of this special type of energies. The dormant kind awakens when someone of great strength arrives that could feel ghosts. According to Shino, that is why the evil started suddenly, because these are truly new arrivals. Both Shino and Kohaku agree that they want my children, especially my son. Father Browning did not agree with the theories of how the spirits arrived but he agreed they want to take my children. _

_Entry 15_

_by Amanda, Second day of spring_

_This morning Father Browning argued with Shino about the nature of good and evil. At first it was an interesting conversation. At one point it was said that Shinto believes in a form of animism, that all things have a force to them and such things such as a tree, a rock, or even wells, can under certain circumstances become sacred and worshiped as such. That is when Father Browning scoffed and said that Shinto is a follower of a pagan religion. They argued for a time until all the table knives took flight and embedded themselves into the wall. What irony that during the knives animation, my baby decided kick more vigorously than before._

_Entry 16_

_by Shoda, Third day of spring_

_I am writing for my wife since she's sleeping. After the doctors said for her to rest, I'm sure as hell not going to wake her to write in a book! The problem happened after breakfast. The two priests and monk were shocked as the mischievous spirits returned and stated to tie knots in Jun and Shizuru's hair. As they tried to 'deal' with the spooks, there was a jumbled mess, it was like having too many cooks for the stew. Total chaos. Amanda suddenly cried out in pain. When I reached her, she was cradling her side and gasping in pain. the so-called good father, Browning , rushed up saying prayers and trying to ward off evil. True, a part of me worried it was an attack on my wife and child,. but I have been watching out for another danger that is separate from ghosts. After pushing the father out of my way, I took Amanda to the hospital. Sure enough, an x-ray confirmed it. We were told two months ago that my boy will be a big one. What had happened was that my boy was kicking too hard and hit his mother's ribs, cracking one. So Amanda's on bed rest, per the doctor and she's not a happy camper. I'm going to have to watch her carefully, I know flipping well that she'll end up getting out of bed too soon. _

"So we finally hear from Kuwabara's pop. I got one question. Babies are really weak, how can a baby that's not yet born crack or break it's ma's ribs?" Yusuke asked with confusion etched on his face.

Shaking her head with a sigh, Genkai looked at her supposed successor. "You really don't know much outside of fighting, do you? It's not unheard of for a mother to get a broken rib during pregnancies. It's happens, that's why doctors are not surprised when a pregnant woman comes in with a broken rib or two. It may not happen all the time but it's not unheard of."

_Entry 17_

_by Amanda, fifth day of spring_

_Abigail came to me as I walked in the rose gardens, as she approached she made a 'shush' motion and beckoned me to followed her. Curious to her odd behavior, I did follow the small ghost. She led me to my father's study windows. I overheard my father talking with 'Father' Browning, who advised my father to send the other priest and monk away. I lost all respect for that man, Browning, when he said that even my father-in-law and husband should be sent away. The gall of that man!_

_My father asked for Browning's reasoning why he should comply. Browning, the bigoted fool, said that the reason my children is being attacked is because my husband is a heathen. He even went so far as to say that the Buddhist monk and Shinto priest are following false gods, and such people will only make matters worse. I can say only one thing to such accusations; Balderdash! I was quick to enter my father's study, though I did jolt my injured rib in my haste. I will be glad when this pain will be gone. Ah I digress once again. Upon entering father's study I said that someone must indeed leave at once! That closed minded imbecile thought I was referring to my beloved husband and started to 'congratulate' me for 'choosing the righteous thing to do'. I interrupted the religious hate-monger to say it had best be him leaving for if my husband leaves, rest assured my daughters and I shall follow._

_About an hour after the confrontation, every door in the house started to open and slam close repeatedly. This went on for nearly twenty minutes, before Jun was pushed down the stairs. Her leg was clearly broken, twisted at an odd angle. We were at the hospital most of the evening while she had x-rays and a cast put on her leg. _

_Entry 18_

_by Shoda , seventh day of spring ( why does Amanda insist on recording the days of the season?)_

_Amanda is resting, between our son kicking more often and her cracked rib, I'm afraid she gets tired out quicker. I've talked to the doctors of what they are going to do with the rib. Amanda is due in seven weeks. With the stretching and kicking my boy's doing, it's not giving the rib time to set. I asked if they are able to operate and screw the rib back together without harming the baby. I was told that since the break point didn't go all the way through, that they are reluctant to do anything unless it's a danger to the mother and child. The doctor did say that he thought it would be the safest if the child was delivered by c-section. _

_Browning left this afternoon, THANK THE GODS! Ha ha, Amanda dear is going to yell at me for writing in bold. She hates it , says it's not proper grammar. Truth is, I've never cared if I use proper grammar or speech. Anyway, back to the point. As Browning left , he encountered the Irate Monk, much to my amusement! Browning was talking to Adam, my father-in-law, trying to get him to change his mind from allowing us 'foreign heathens' to stay when the ghost materialized in front of him. The monk's eyes glowed red as he faced Browning and told the father to 'leave this place, your hatred is only making matters worse."_

"Okay, does that mean that not all the ghosts at the house are evil?"

"The mother said so in earlier entries Yusuke." Kurama merely shook his head.

TBC

Author's notes I'll say it again...I am not a doctor. Do not expect precise information. I have general info at best since I have not, and never will, attend Medical school.

While I do know women do in fact get ribs cracked and broken by the unborn baby, I do not know how they are treated. Thus warned, do NOT write me and say such and such is impossible or can't happen. I know that babies kicking can break a woman's rib... I was taught that back in school in child development.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Entry 23_

_By Amanda_

_Forgive me for being abrupt with this entry. I am too sick for a lengthy entry. Earlier we were eating some apples when Shoda suddenly had a look of terror come across his face. I did not seen a ghost around at that time so I did not know what had disturbed him until he went to spit out the apple seeds. To our horror, they were not seeds but teeth. Human teeth._

_Entry 30_

_By Amanda, May 7, Monday_

_Today another catholic priest arrived. Father Mac Gavin is considerably younger than Browning, but far more pleasant. Father Mac Gavin said his goal is the same as Browning's; to observe the events and to see if the church needs to intervene. At first Shoda was upset. I explained it was in the wordings of the sentence, it was not what he thought. I explained how in the past, the church would 'exorcize' people that in the rise of science would be now described as mentally ill or, say shaking violently, were having a seizure instead of being shaken by devils. Shoda calmed down once he realized that was Father Mac Gavin's purpose: to verify that the happenings are of a supernatural origin and are hostile. Akira made one point to the good father, there is not a person here that needs to be exorcized, and it is the house._

_I must say that I am impressed, Father Mac Gavin is quite tolerant of other faiths. He asked Kohaku and Shino if he could follow them as they walked about blessing the house. They have been doing this since they first arrived. I personally believe that is what helped quiet things down. The hateful attacks have occurred with less frequency since they have been here._

_Entry 31_

_By Amanda, May 8, Tuesday_

_Today wasn't as eventful as other entries that I've made. Today not even one major incidence has happened. The most that happened was when the pranksters tried to tie knots in Jun's hair. Shoda threw an ofuda about three inches above her head. There was a quick flash of light. When we looked again everyone could see the spirit! It was extremely short, only about one foot tall. A long nose and wrinkles was seen. If it wasn't for the fact it was a ghost, I could have mistaken it for a disgruntled brownie!_

_Shizuru brought everyone out of their daze by hollering: "Eww! That thing's hands been in my hair?" At our laughter, the spirit hissed and ran through the wall._

"Eww? I just can't see Shizuru saying that!" Yusuke commented as the others smiled. It is difficult for most of them to picture the stoic Shizuru whining like a little child.

"Bah, you all are bunch of dimwits. Shizuru was a young girl once." Genkai grumbled as she remembered when a frightened and scraggily girl arrived at her shrine.

_Genkai grumbled as she opened her doors at the dead of night. "Shizuru? Why are you here so late?" She got no response from the youth until she opened the door wider to allow the child entrance. _

_"I didn't want to stay at the foster home, not when Kazuma and Yoshiko are still in the hospital." Shizuru looked at the aging martial artist. "Can I stay here for a while?" She asked as her lower lip started to tremble. "I don't want to be around strangers. Please Genkai baa-san?" _

_Her features softening, Genkai let out a sigh. "Very well, I'll call them though to let them know that you are okay." After making the call, Genkai went about getting some tea and a light snack for the child and then sat down. "I have some news, Shizuru, you will be staying here for a while after all. I planned on getting you in a few weeks after I got everything in order. This just sped up the 'move-in' date."_

_Hope filled the girl's eyes. "Really? What about my little sister and baby brother?"_

_"Hai." Genkai could not suppress the smile as the girl squealed with joy. "Once the doctors release Kazuma and Yoshiko, they will come here as well."_

_"Why?" Cocking her head to the side young Shizuru asked. "You can heal them faster than those silly men in white coats! Why do we have to wait?"_

_"Shizuru, not everyone believes in spirit energy, much less the ability to heal. I am healing them." Genkai swiftly interjected to soothe the troubled sister. "But thanks to those watchful eyes, I have to do it slowly so it's less noticeable to the average person."_

"Hey, grandma!" Yusuke yelled as he brazenly waved a hand in front of Genkai's face. "Don't go senile on me here."

Wham! A single punch was all it took for Genkai to send the punk flying into a wall.

"Genkai, is something wrong?" Kurama asked in his deceptively soft voice.

"No." Was the blunt reply Genkai gave. "I was merely remembering when Shizuru first arrived here."

Everyone was curious but it was Yusuke that asked while he rubbed the knot on his still sore head. "When was that?"

"I already told you, she came to stay with me when she was ten." Genkai refused to say any more as she opened the journal.

_Entry 33_

_By Amanda, May 11, Friday_

_Morning_

_I should have not allowed the false quiet to lull me into unawares. That so-called silence has been shattered. Monday, the day after Mac Gavin's arrival, was peaceful. We didn't even hear from most of the regular ghosts. In hindsight, I suppose that we should have seen their silence as a warning. A warning that something worse has arrived. Or perhaps awakened may be a better term. My father, Akira and Shoda have searched the history of not only the house but the land as well. _

_I now believe that the spectral arm belongs to the ghost of Sir Arthur Gray, a nobleman of violent tendencies that was courting Lady Anna Holmes in 1751. When Lady Anna refused to marry the brute, he dragged her by the hair and threw her over the railing that looks down onto the foyer. It's said that he laughed as she fell to her death. Her two brothers then retaliated by shooting Sir Gray to death. There are more incidences like that throughout the history of the land, more than what I thought._

_Pardon me for wandering off topic. As I said , Monday and Tuesday were pleasant but the past two days have been hellish. It has been so horrible that it is only now, going on the third day that I have had a chance to write in this journal. As I hinted at, something worse has arrived, something viler than those before it. Something that is murderous. It started on Wednesday afternoon, we were discussing the land's history when all the doors in the house began to slam close, open then slam close again with such violence that I saw cracks appear in the kitchen door. This was followed by electricity starting to flicker. Then wind blew at us with such a stench. When Kohaku attempted to dispel the evil, he bought us a small reprieve. All was quiet for a fifteen minutes, then the stench returned. Without the wind, the foul odor hung in the air throughout the kitchen. Once we walked out of the room, the odor stopped. Shino stepped back over the threshold of the kitchen then back into the den. After several times, Shino confirmed that the stench is localized to the kitchen._

_Before any sort of plan could be conceived, the newest force struck again. Every window around us shattered inwards, showering us with glass. We did not get a chance to gather our thoughts, for right then we heard the girls screaming from their bedrooms upstairs. We could hear the girls screaming 'let me out'. Father Mac Gavin and Shoda were the first ones to reach the stairs. They were halfway up when Shino and my father tried to ascend up the stairway, only to be repelled. I telepathically cried to my husband not to turn around but go ahead. It was only after Shoda and Mac Gavin reached the top could Shino and father set foot on the stairs. Kohaku, Akira and I tried to go but as before, it would allow only two people at a time to ascend the stairs. I feared my heart was going to burst out of my chest with fear. My poor daughters' screams had not yet ended. _

_Finally I reached the second floor only to see the hallway seemed to stretch forever. I know I screamed that this hallway is only supposed to have ten doors. But as we looked on it seemed to have one hundred! To make matters worse it seemed as if the screams were coming from behind each door. Dear gods, I couldn't tell which ones the true doors to my daughter's bedrooms/_

_Please forgive the tear-stains and smudges. Although these events happened two days past, they are so horrible I know the events will haunt us all every night until we die._

_Shino threw four ofuda down the corridor. Within a blink of an eye, the illusion of the never-ending hallway vanished. The ofuda stuck to four doors. Slowly three of them opened; Jun, Shizuru and Misao came out. Looking back, I know that not even a minute passed before we rushed to open the door to my remaining daughter's room. However at that moment it seemed like to be an eternity as I saw three of my girls emerge. Each one had scratch and bite marks on their visible skin and faces. I hoped that the casts on Jun and Misao's legs and the one on Shizuru's arm actually protected those areas from the attacks. I realized that Yoshiko hadn't come out yet. As I said, I know that less than a minute expired but it seemed to be longer than that. Once I opened the door to her room, I began to scream myself._

_Yoshiko sat there oddly quiet as she stared at her arm in a massive pool of blood. There is no way all the blood could be hers since she was still alive. The entire floor was covered with copious amount of blood. Blood was sprayed on the walls. And Yoshiko just sat there staring curiously at her arm. Since her back was to us, I could not see what she found so captivating that she didn't answer her sisters' screams or my pleas. I am ashamed to say this, but I faltered at that doorway. I failed my daughter! I stood there confronted with this bizarre behavior of my third child while she sat in a pool of blood and I could not force myself to enter and approach her. Her father, unlike me, did not have a leave of his senses. He scooped her up and we could see the wounds where some blood oozed from. There were bite marks all over her. Unlike her sisters, Yoshiko's were deep. however, those were not the most horrible of her injuries. The worst injury was her hand. By the gods…it was gone! _

_Those fiends severed her left hand!_

_Jun fainted and I heard Shizuru vomiting out in the hall while Yoshiko still stared at the stump where she once had a hand. In my panic I actually tried to slap Yoshiko out of it but she was unresponsive. We started running to get her to the hospital. The stairs gave us no trouble as we went down. It was in the foyer that the resistance came. My family stopped as we saw the gigantic eyes glowing in the foyer. The three religious men went to the front._

_The Buddhist monk, Kohaku._

_The Catholic priest, Mac Gavin._

_The Shinto priest, Shino._

_They recited their various different prayers in an attempt to dispel the fiend. At first the only effect was a deafening roar. They made several attempts as my father tied a tourniquet on Yoshiko's forearm. She had passed out in her father's arms due to the pain. I know she was losing blood as well. We had to get her out! After a few more tries, we heard Shino shout for us to run for the front door. Mac Gavin and Kohaku continued to chant their different prayers and Shino rejoined them. I carried Misao while Akira carried Jun, since the girls wore a cast on their legs. I saw my husband and father go out of the door with Yoshiko._

_Then there was a blinding flash of red light. I felt as some force rammed into me, knocking me backwards. As I fell, I heard everyone scream. After I regained my bearings and stole a look at the door, I cried out in dismay. My screaming "No!" made the others look towards the door ... or what should have been the door._

_It was gone. Instead of a door leading out of this nightmarish house, there was a solid wall. Not even an outline of door could be seen. _

"Damn it, this is so frustrating!" Koenma hollered as he tossed another folder to the side. Picking up another one, the Reikai prince kept one ear on the screen that was tuned into Genkai's temple. "Jorge, get Botan on the phone."

"What phone, Koenma-sama?" The confused ogre asked.

"I meant the communication line!" Koenma roared in his foul temperament. "What other way do I contact Botan?"

"Well, back when Yusuke was undergoing his spirit trial, you did just 'pop in' a lot." Jorge mumbled in sarcasm.

"Koenma-sama! Have you found anything yet?" Botan pleaded at screen of the communicator.

"Thanks to my father dismantling my support system here in Reikai ... not much." Koenma settled back down. "I can't even find the files on the Kuwabara clan. Not just the ones on our friend and his sister but even the files on their father and grandfather are gone. I suppose that my dad really wanted to get to me, To get Kuwabara's file I have to go through a ton of paperwork to get dad's approval. That could take weeks!"

"I remember you telling me that he sent the people loyal to you to different areas, but I didn't realize that he went that far!" Yusuke said over Botan's shoulder.

"Also, another reason why we know little about the events in those journals is because it happened on foreign soil." Koenma sighed. "Therefore, Reikai doesn't have any records of them. That is why it is vital that you read those journals. I am having them recorded as you read them that way we can get a copy here in Reikai."

"Koenma, you said "not much". Just what have you found?" Kurama prodded before the comminution could go blank.

With another sigh at his lack of accomplishments, Koenma went on to say, "I currently have only a few entries on Kuwabara, What I do have, suggests that he had trouble with ghosts right up to the time he discovered how to use his spirit energy."

With a snort, Yusuke crossed his arms at that. "Feh, I already knew that! That was part of the reason he first came to see Genkai when she was holding her tournament."

"Only 'part of the reason'?" Kurama fixed a steady gaze at his friend. "What, pray tell, was rest of the reason?"

"Well, I remember Kuwabara saying his powers were getting uncontrollable." Yusuke simply said as he scratched the back of his head.

Off to the side, Hiei had listened in. "You once said that it was during Genkai's search for a successor that Kuwabara first discovered his Reiken. So what powers did he have before that and how were they going out of control?"

After putting out a cigarette, Yusuke answered Hiei. " Kuwabara said that he was having sleep paralysis more often, and he kept hearing and seeing things all the time. He complained that it was too distracting, saying that he couldn't concentrate, not even in a fight. I know that he could sense ghosts. Beyond that, I don't know."

"In short, Kuwabara's sixth sense had a dramatic increase in level in a very short time, up to a point where he couldn't control it without a mentor to give him some pointers." Genkai summarized as she picked up the first journal. "I'm going to finish this entry. Everyone shut up."

_I used my telepathy to reach my husband. Thankfully Shoda, father and Yoshiko made it outside before the rest of us were trapped. I urged them to go ahead and get help for Yoshiko. After I told everyone with me that the other three are free, Father Mac Gavin had me tell Shoda to contact his superior, a man by the name of Tavis. It is Tavis that will actually perform any exorcism if Mac Gavin told him there was evil within the house. _

_Those of us trapped on the inside made our way to the sitting room, where the three holy men set up protections within. Rest of the house seemed to be alive at that point. During the evening we heard screaming, roaring and hideous laughing coming from beyond the doors. About seven hours after Shoda and father escaped, the walls seemed to ripple as if they were made of water. After Shino slapped an ofuda on a wall , they returned to normal. We got very little sleep that night. _

_About four a.m., I was woken up by my father's mental call. They were able to get Yoshiko to the hospital. For some odd reason, she didn't suffer from the amount of blood loss as they expected from such a traumatic wound. I wonder if she could have inherited my grandmother's ability to heal faster than the normal. Whatever the cause, I thank the gods that Yoshiko will live. My father said it took so long to contact me is due to two reasons. One, They were able to get out of the house but had some minor ghosts harass them at the gates. Two, he were distracted by the police officers questions and couldn't concentrate to make the psychic connection. Of course, most people are not going to believe you if say that your daughter lost her hand because a ghost ate it! Or that ghosts were the ones to cause all the bite and scratch marks. Therefore the police were involved. It was only with the help of Dr. Owens, our family doctor, and Father Tavis that they were able to convince the police that Yoshiko is not being abused by her own parents. Also, father said they dispatched a car to the manor ... only to have the gates attack the squad car! That incident and father Tavis' influence convinced the constable that the supernatural is involved._

_The prior events happened on Thursday. Since we took safety in the sitting room, I was not able to write about them since the journal was up in my private room. Yesterday, we had to fight to get out of the sitting room to get food. Shino and Mac Gavin took the front to ward off any attacks while Adam, the children and I were in the middle and Kohaku protected our backs. That is when the evil took another means of attack. We noticed that the walls were moving back and forth as if they were breathing. Then the walls began to bleed. Copious amounts of blood began to pool under our feet. With it came the rancid smell of rotting flesh. Of course this wrecked havoc on our mortal minds and we began to panic. Misao started to scream in my arms. Adam urged us to run as he held Jun on his back. The panic became full-fledged when the priests agreed and the monk grabbed little Shizuru, the only child present able to walk. _

_We ran into the den. When we looked back, we could see the blood seeping into the cracks of the wooden floor until not a drop remained behind. Kohaku and Shino started to work on sealing off the den. Mac Gavin went into the kitchen to make certain it was safe. The only things in those rooms were nothing on the same scale as we have seen in the past twenty-four hours. As we watched, Abigail appeared in the den. She warned us not to leave these rooms. As we looked on in horror a skeletal but insubstantial arm grabbed Abigail. We heard a male voice cry out "Leave in the name of God!" When Abigail was dropped, she ran into the china cabinet where she is still hiding. The one to cry out was not Father Mac Gavin but the ghost of the Irate Monk. I do not know of any other time that that particular ghost has wandered inside the house. The Monk's ghost explained that some of the more peaceful ghosts are taking action to help protect us._

_I remembered that the windows were broken out earlier in the den, as I looked around, I saw that every window was intact. Not only that but they were now barricaded. It looked as if thick menacing vines had grown over the windows since earlier._

_With the ghosts aiding us along with the holy men's prayers, it has bought us some time to cook and eat. I wish that there's a bathroom connected to the den. Being pregnant that's as important as eating for me, it is humiliating to use a kitchen pot for relief! We could hear things breaking and screaming outside these rooms. That has continued to this morning. The ghost that resembled a brownie appeared and dropped a book onto my head. When I looked at it, I saw it was this very journal. When I looked up, The ghostly monk told that I should continue to record the events. So I sat down this morning to write what has happened the past two days. It is now mid-afternoon and I am famished. _

When Genkai stopped to sip her tea and wet her throat, everyone stayed quiet for a few minutes. Surprisingly, it was Hiei that broke the stillness. "I always thought that there was nothing here in Ningenkai that could be as threatening as a childhood in Makai."

Keiko wrapped her arms around her fiancé's neck. "I wonder if this is when it started to happen." Keiko had arrived in the middle of Genkai's reading. Yusuke had told her about the journals and she came as soon as she could get away from her university.

"When what started, Keiko?" Yusuke was not following his fiancée's train of thoughts.

But it seemed that Kurama understood Keiko's concerns when he nodded. "It's quite possible." When Yusuke demanded for an explanation, Kurama went ahead. "Ever since we've known Kuwabara, the only family of his we have seen has been Shizuru. Kuwabara has never mentioned that he had three other sisters, his two grandfathers or his parents. I can only conclude that somewhere, somehow, they were killed, leaving only the two current Kuwabara siblings."

"That would be Shizuru and Kazuma. So between then and now, something has happened to the rest of his family." Keiko finished sadly.

Off to the side, no one sees the haunted look that came over an woman aged beyond her years.

TBC

Amanda-- mother

Shoda -- father

Adam--Kazuma's grandfather - Amanda's father

Akira--Kazuma's grandfather - Shoda's father

Jun--1st daughter

Shizuru --2nd daughter

Yoshiko--3rd daughter

Misao--4th daughter

Shino--Shinto priest

Kohaku--Buddhist monk

Mac Gavin--Catholic priest

--TBC-


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 -

_Entry 34_

_By Amanda, May 11, Friday night_

_I contacted Shoda this evening; I was starting to panic since I still cannot contact Yoshiko. Shoda explained that the doctors are keeping her heavily sedated and that is why she is unresponsive at the moment. By the Gods, I am glad that at least one of my children is safe. I am desperate to get my other children out as well. I am beginning to fear that I may die before my son is born._

_The wards are holding ... for now. Every time the walls ripple, it fills me with dread. I should list the good aspects of our situation ... we are together and have access to food ... to attempt to raise my spirits. Seriously, how in the seven hells can there be 'good aspects' in this? My childhood home has been infested with horrible and bloodthirsty ghosts, my daughters and I have been trapped inside with several others! This entire situation is hellish! We are now trapped in the kitchen and den areas. There are no windows, no back door. There is no way out!_

Her hands shaking, Genkai sets the first journal aside. No one spoke as she reached for a teacup. "Damn it! Which one you brats drank the last of the tea and didn't make another pot?"

As everyone shared a nervous glance, Yusuke debated whether to speak up or not. He noticed that reading these journals is disturbing Genkai. So much so that she didn't realize she drank the last cup. '

'Something's not right; it's not like grandma to get this shaken up! Hell, her nerves were under control during the Dark Tournament when she knew she would die by Toguro's hands! She went there knowing her old partner, maybe lover, intended to kill her.' After thinking to himself, Yusuke decided to say something. "Hey grandma, we read entries one through thirteen yesterday afternoon. Today we've read fourteen through twenty-three. Okay you've read them, but it's only noon right now. We should take a break to eat lunch or something."

Surprised by Yusuke's show of tact, everyone agreed. "Everyone meet back here in two hours. That should give you time to check in with your mother Kurama and for everyone to grab a bite. I am not cooking!" Genkai threw over her shoulder as she walked out the doors.

"Okay, do you guys notice how shaken up Genkai is? I'm not making things up here, right?" Yusuke's tone was all business. "Damn what a welcome home this turned out to be! After three years gone, I return to find out that my best friend, his sister and girlfriend all disappear seven days before. And now my teacher is acting odd! I mean it, I'm worried about her!"

"You're not imagining things Yusuke." Keiko whispered as she hugged him. "But Genkai did take care of Kuwabara and Shizuru when they were younger. That would give her a reason to take this close to heart."

"Why is that? Where are the other members of his family? Even if Kuwabara's grandfathers were killed off by these ghosts, where are the grandmothers? Any aunts or uncles? How about cousins? Why was it Genkai that took them in? By the sounds of things Kuwabara was born in England, if his parents died there, how and why did he come to Japan? Genkai fought more against demon than ghosts! I know there were other psychics around that had experience against ghosts. So why Genkai?" Yusuke rambled on, voicing his confusion. "Kurama, can you get on to the internet to find out about his family and what happened? Scratch that, can you get what-his-name ... the one whose first name rhymes with Puu, the guy with the taboo powers. Can you get the Mr. Smart-Guy to do that?"

Kurama smirked a little at the 'rhymes with Puu' line. "I see, since Enma won't give Koenma access to the Kuwabara family files, we need to find out his relations via the internet. But why have Kaito Yu research Kuwabara-kun's genealogy instead of me?"

"Tell me Kurama, how fast can you and Hiei steal the files on clan Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked in all seriousness.

"Not fast enough", came Hiei's reply.

Shaking his head Kurama agreed. "Hiei is correct. We would have to find where the files were located at, scope out the defenses then plan the raid. Just the scooping and planning could take days to weeks. We planned the raid on the Reikai vaults for several months before executing the raid that led to meeting you. It would be faster for us to read the journals and have Kaito do the research."

"Damn it!" Yusuke made everyone jump by slamming his fist into the floor. "Fine, we do that. Let's go eat. Kurama, get in touch with Kaito."

One and a half hours later, Kurama found Kaito at the Shinomura Collage. "So let me see if I got it right, Minamino. Kuwabara is missing and evidence from a journal points to ghosts. Master Genkai is acting odd. His family has had problems with ghosts for years. King Enma is not letting Koenma see the files on the Kuwabara family, so you are asking me to conduct research on Kuwabara's history and genealogy while you continue to look for clues in these journals?" Kaito summarized in a stoic voice, only the raised eyebrow betraying the interest.

"Yes, that is the grist of it." Kurama watched the cunning human. When Kurama first learned that Kaito was one of the humans that developed psychic powers thanks to the portal that Sensui was attempting to open; the human was suppose to be part of a trap. A trap that Genkai set up to show to the four teammates that these new psychics were not pushovers and could not be underestimated. However Kaito allowed his jealousy of Kurama to enter the fray. Hopefully, Kaito's decent side would persuade him to help.

It did not take Kaito long to give an answer. He may hold some trivial resentment towards Minamino from high school but that does not concern Kuwabara or Master Genkai. "I'll help. I need Kuwabara's given name and his birthday, any other names of family members. If you know where he was born that would help too. If not, I'll hack into the school records to find out the information."

Kurama nodded his thanks. "His given name is Kazuma. I believe you've met his sister Shizuru. We hadn't reached the entry that tells of his birth but so far up to the eighth month of pregnancy, his family was in England. We found out in the journal about more of his family. Shizuru is actually the second of four girls born before Kazuma-kun. The other sisters are: Jun, Yoshiko and Misao. His father is Kuwabara Shoda. His paternal grandfather was named Akira. His mother was a gaijin, part American, and part English. Her name was Amanda, and her maiden name was Holmes. Kazuma-kun's maternal grandfather was named Adam Holmes. "

The popping of a bubble announced the arrival of Yana. "Hey, if the mom's maiden name is Holmes, then why her father's family name is is Adam? Is one of those weird westerner customs?"

Both Kaito and Kurama look at him oddly until they figure out what he meant. "Ah you misunderstood me. His given name is Adam and the family is Holmes. I said it as Adam Holmes instead of Holmes Adam, because in the west the given name comes first and the family name comes last."

"Gee westerners are so weird. Why don't they have the family name first like it's suppose to?"

Kaito decided to confuse his friend even further. "Also bear in mind that sometimes they also have two given names. Speaking of which Kurama, since he had a western mother, do you know if Kuwabara had a middle name?"

"No," Kurama never even thought about the possibility of his missing friend having a middle name. "I don't know."

"Yusuke, you know Master Genkai better than any of us." Keiko started out tentatively, watching her fiancé's reactions. "Do you have any idea what is bothering her?"

"Nope, not a clue. Sure, it could be that she was fond of him since she took care of him." Yusuke paused to take a deep breath. Scratching the back of his head, he gazed blankly at the far wall. "That old hag has nerves of steel; she didn't look half as upset as this when she faced Younger Toguro. And that's what's bothering me. There's got to be a clue somewhere that we're missing,"

Precisely two hours after she walked out of the room, Genkai returned. Scowling as she looked past Yusuke, Botan and even Hiei. "Where is Kurama?" She huffed at Yusuke's reply that he was most likely stuck in traffic. "Well, I'm not waiting; I told everyone what time to be back."

TBC

Notes I do watch Horror movies, I also read the books. I grew up in the wonderful gory 1980's heydays of Poltergeist, Amityville Horror and the entire slew of slasher flicks. Some more resent movies are Red Rose and The Haunting.

If you haven't seen either of those two, go rent them, they will spark your imagination and help you picture what's going on my story...but watch them with the lights on!

To everyone I've not forgotten about the picture that disturbed Kuwa's friends. It's too early to reveal it since Kazuma's not yet born. We won't discover what happened to Kazuma & the girls until the end of the story--that's why this is a horror/mystery fic. As for why King Enma keeping the files from Koenma--remember that Enma's not too pleased with his son, it goes to back to 3 years past when Koenma protected the transformed Yusuke from the Spirit Squad, who was sent to assassinate Yusuke because he had demon blood. Therefore Enma doesn't trust anyone from Koenma's favorite team who were/are friends of Yusuke. I'll say this there's another reason why Enma doesn't want to let others see Kazuma's files...but it's a secret.


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's notes** Spelling mistakes in Entry 36 are intentional; after all, a child wrote it. Yes I realize that some kids can write without making a lot of the mistakes I have Jun make. But remember that Jun is under extreme conditions. If your sister's hand has been bitten off by ghosts and you are trapped in a house filled with those same ghosts, would you worry about capitalization?

_**Chapter 6**_

E_ntry 36 by jun,sunday_

_Momma is sleeping and daddy isn't here so I'm writing for them. Sorry my handwriting isn't pretty like momma's. I wish itswas. I don't know why I'm saying sorry to a silley book. Momma says that someone might read this later so she write in it as if it's a letter. Whatever she means by that._

_I better write about today. Momma told us that Yoshi is going to live this morning. During breakfast those nasty ghosts tried to break into here. Kohaku made them go away with his ofuda. But later they returned. I got really scared when the walls started to breathe. Then the lights started to flick off and on. Everyone screamed when the lights went all tha way out. Okay, not everyone. Kohaku-san is really brave. He didn't yell like a girl the way grampa Kuwa did._

Snickering from Yusuke interrupted the reading. No one said a word, realizing that this was the first time they've heard anything close to a laugh from Yusuke since he learned that the Kuwabara siblings was missing. "Heh, that old man sounds like our Kuwabara." As quickly as he started, Yusuke stopped the half-hearted attempt at humor. "Go on, Genkai."

_I wish I was strong like him. And he's cute too. He's not a old, bald guy that you think monks as._

This time it was Keiko and Botan sniffling that caused the interruption. Hiei looked askance at Botan as she used his scarf to dry her tears as Yusuke soothed Keiko. "That's just so sad. That was probably her first crush. And most likely she didn't live long enough to get a second crush. I'm sorry for interrupting Genkai."

Genkai said nothing as she continued to read, never looking up. Yusuke wasn't sure, he could have sworn that a tear rolled down her left cheek.

_Later I heard Kohaku-san talking to Father Mac Gavin-san and Shino-san. They were whispering so we kids couldn't hear them. But I heard them. They said that the wards aren't going to last too much longer. They didn't want to say it out loud cause they didn't want to scare us kids. But I was already scared before that. I sometimes dream of things that will come true. Sometimes Misao does too. She told me that she dreamed the monk ghost was yelling at that Mr. Browning the day before it happened._

_That's why I'm not sleeping, I don't want to have those bad dreams again. Last night was the worsted opps That should be worst. momma wants us to spell the right way but it's hard sometimes . Specially when I don't have a pencil only a pen. And pens don't erase. Anyway I was saying that last night was the worst bad dream I ever had. And let me tell you I had some bad dreams before! _

_At first all I could see is a baby, my brother naked and crying surrounded by the dark. The only other person there was momma but she's not moving towards my brother she just stands there. Then all the sudden her belly is covered in blood! I knew the that momma was dead and that's why she's not picking my brother up. Suddenly everything changed. I walked into a room and saw Misao lying on the floor next to our brother. _

_They're both covered in blood and crying. I looked around trying to find some help. I saw daddy, Yoshiko, Shizuru even Kohaku-san and grandpa Holmes was there standin around. I tried yelling that Misao needs help but they acted as if they never heard me. I noticed that they were staring at some boxes that were lying at the front of the room. As I walked to them they became coffins. There were five of them. I looked into the first one and saw that is was Shino-san in it. I saw Father MacGavin in the second one. I started to cry and scream NO when I saw the third one was Grampa Kuwa. My hand trembled as I lifted up the lid to the fourth box _

_It was momma! _

_I really didn't want to write that. I got up to get a cup of water before I could say it or say who was in the fifth coffin._

_It was me._

"Oh gods, she dreamed of her own death?" Botan buried her face in her hands as Kurama placed a hand on her shoulder.

"There's more." Genkai whisper so softly that several of them didn't hear her.

Kurama did, it was the soft tremble of her voice that made him look closer. "Genkai, you've read all day. Please, allow me to read now." At his question, others looked to see something that startled them. Genkai was crying.

"About time you returned. We will take a break for a few minutes then finish." Genkai snapped as she walked to a back room. She stopped when Yusuke spoke up.

"Why?" Yusuke asked softly, unable to keep quiet any longer. Only when Genkai looked over her shoulder at him did he elaborate. "Why are you crying? You didn't cry when I died so why now over some events that it sounds like already happened. I always thought you were too hardened to cry over a book. What are you not telling us?"

Everyone watched her as Genkai looked away for a few seconds. When she finally turned towards them, she whispered "It's because of the events written in that book that helped harden me so much. Even more so than Toguro". Before anyone could question her, she walked out of the room.

Waiting until her energies were farther away, Yusuke finally turned to Kurama. "Did you find Kaito?" Yusuke stared at Kurama when he simply nodded his head yes. "Well? Is he going to help or not?"

"Kaito agreed to research the family history of the Kuwabara's." Kurama sat down to a cup of tea. "I told him about Kuwabara-kun's disappearance and Genkai's odd behavior." Kurama didn't say anymore as Genkai returned looking more composed as she picked the journal up. Kurama raised a hand, silently reminding her of his offer to read. 'Some may think that I'm being kind. That is one reason for it. Another is that I want to make certain that nothing is being left out from us. From her reactions, Genkai's been more involved with the Kuwabaras than we ever knew. Perhaps even Kuwabara-kun didn't even know or remember.'

_When I turned around screaming, I saw pictures on the back wall. They scared me as much as the coffins did. In one picture, it showed Grampa Holmes falling out of a really high window. Another showed Kohaku-san lying on a floor of a shrine with blood all around him. And another showed daddy lying in a hospital bed with one those tubes going into his mouth and a ugly arm, like a mummy or something was touching his forhead. Another showed Misao hiding in a corner of a dark room, she looks older though. Another was of Yoshiko looking like a teen and wandering some weird field that was scattered with bones. Shizuru was all grown up and was in a hospital but she wasn't hurt or sick. She was protecting some brown-haired girl and waving her jacket to shoo away some ugly bugs._

_Then there was a guy who I've never seen but I know it's my baby brother. There were a lot of pictures of my brother. I didn't want to wake up, I wanted to look at them all. I know I'll never get a chance to be the big sister to him, I'm not going to live to see him grow up. He's going to grow strong and fight all kinds of monsters. The pictures I like best is the ones where he's holding some swords, but they're not normal swords. My baby brother's going to have some nifty magic swords! The first one kinda glows orange. The second one glows in different colors,at one time it glows orange too but they look different. Another picture shows it glowing red. And a third picture shows the sword looking like a really big tennis racket! I know they are all the same sword becaus they have the same normal looking handle on them. The first and third swords don't have handles, they're glowing like the blades. The first ones look like orange fire, the way it sparks out. _

_The third one really rocks! It looks like he can cut between worlds! There was this picture and it showed my brother swinging the sword down. On one side there was a cave, on the other, it was a red sky filled with a mountain of monsters._

"Hn, this sister dreamed of each one of Kuwabara's swords. She foresaw him cutting the barrier between Ningenkai and Makai." Hiei's voice drifted from the far wall that he propped himself against.

"Yeah, It's enough to make you wonder how strong she could have been if she lived." Yusuke commented softly gazing off at the sun shining in a high window. "I can't believe that it took a crisis like this to make us realize how much we assumed about Kuwabara, about his family and all. How much of those assumptions were wrong. Or how much we took advantage of that ignorance ... and of Kuwabara."

"Yusuke…" Keiko didn't need to say anything besides his name. The soft touch of her hand on his knee assured him that he had her support.

"I understand what you are saying Yusuke. Both Hiei and I had thought that Kuwabara had a simple childhood. To our reasoning, he…is a ningen." Kurama caught himself before he slipped up, but that pause was noticeable. Even Genkai took note. Kurama thanked the gods that he was able to catch himself before he slipped and said was. 'We cannot give up hope. It's only the second week that we've discovered the Kuwabara residence in ruins.'

Glaring at Kurama's slip, Yusuke accepted Keiko's tugging him into leaning against her side. "That's what's bothering me. I should have realized that his childhood was weird!"

"How could you have known?" Kieko interjected, in an attempt to soothe Yusuke and to satisfy her own curiosity.

"Do you remember the time when we first learned about Kuwabara's sixth sense?" Yusuke asked Botan, watching as she nibbled on a fingertip as she thought. When Botan shook her head yes, Yusuke went on to explain to the others. "It happened when I died the first time, during the first day I wandered around as a ghost and my body was brought back to life and preserved by Reikai. We were floating above Kuwabara while he was talking to Okubo, Sawamura and Kirishima. He seemed to sense that we were near. When he acted odd, Sawamura asked if it was _**that **_again. Kirishima knew what he was referring to but Okubo didn't. Kuwabara confirmed that they were talking about his reikan. Kuwabara told Okubo that since he was a child he would see will-o-the-wisps, get hit with sleep paralysis..."

His face paling, Yusuke let his sentence die off as he looked at Botan who had the same look of horror. "Oh no," was the only thing she was able to get past the lump in her throat.

"Well, one of you spit it out!" Hiei spoke up before anyone else could. Just because Kurama is the fox does not mean that he had a monopoly on curiosity.

"Kuwabara said that he was often chased by a grisly ghost and a knife-wielding old hag of a ghost." Botan muttered softly, ashamed she could have forgotten about that or think it was an exaggeration.

"Well, they both sound grisly to me!" Keiko shuddered.

Genkai had allowed them some time to talk, it helped everyone's nerves to have a few minutes that were less tense than the time reading. As Genkai took the journal back, she cleared her throat. "It's getting late. We'll read one more entry then stop for the evening."

_Entry 37, Sunday_

_By Amanda _

_Dear Gods, please spare my daughters! I woke up in the late evening to find Jun had written in this journal. The fact that my eldest daughter has looked inside this diary of horror does not disturb me as much as the fact of what she revealed in her own chapter. I've shown Jun's entry to both the priests and the monks._

Later on in the evening, Genkai noticed that Kurama was checking his cell phone. 'Leave it to Kurama to be the one to do some investigations outside of my shrine. Somehow I suspected that if they ever found out my secret that it would be him. I realize my current actions are suspicious. If they can find the right clues I'll tell them the truth and why it's been kept hidden all these years.'

--TBC--


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven **

**Intermission 1-a**

"Kurama, are you serious? You mean that Kaito told us to meet him here but didn't tell you why?" Yusuke's disbelief was the loudest voice as the five friends stood at the curbside coffeehouse looking at the hospital across the street.

Silence met everyone's ears as Kurama ignored Yusuke's fifth time to ask the same question. A glance at his watch showed Kurama that it was only 5:50 AM. There was still another ten minutes before Kaito would meet them. Late yesterday evening Kaito called and left a message on Kurama's cell phone for Kurama to bring the team to this northern island first thing in the morning.

Finally, Keiko had enough of the whining and forcefully set her coffee cup down. "Oh shut up, Yusuke! Most likely Kaito found some patient at that hospital that is part of Kuwabara's family or knew them."

"What makes you say that?" Curiosity caught Yusuke in a stranglehold as he shot a questioning glance at the hospital.

"That is simple." Kurama spoke up as his gaze joined at watching the distant building. "Kaito said to meet him at 6 A.M. at this coffee-house across from that hospital. That is when the visiting hours begin. If it was an employee that he wanted us to meet, then he would have said to meet him at 7 A.M. since that is the shifts change."

"Astute as ever, Minamino." The familiar haughty voice drifted over from the balcony's entrance. Kaito waited there instead of joining them, signaling that it was time to leave. Acting the part of a gentleman, Kaito held the gate open for Keiko and Botan. He let go of the small wrought-iron structure as Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama reached the gate.

This caused a chain reaction of bruised knees and curses from each male in turn as the gate hit Yusuke. As he went through he let it go, allowing it to hit Hiei. Who then followed suit and allowed it to hit Kurama.

As they crossed the street, Kurama took in the modern appearance of the hospital. After Kaito's message the evening before, Kurama used the Internet to investigate the medical facility. Therefore he knew that there were recent additions to the forty-seven year old building. However, he didn't expect this. There was the old section in the western, old-fashioned 'box' style with the original three floors. Another three floors were added in a step-pyramid style. Then to the left of the old section was the newer areas, which included the main lobby.

On entering the lobby, Kurama noticed even greater differences between this modern building and the hospital his mother was treated at. In the center of the lobby, was a statue of a family that stood in the middle of a water fountain. The building was not the stark white that was so typical of hospitals of old.

Earth tones dominated the color scheme. The floor tile was a light brown. The brick pillars were about three feet wide and went from the floor level all the way up to the glass top of the foyer four stories up. The bottom half of the walls were a light tan, while the top half was a cream color.

Another difference is the live plants that were scattered about. Not just a few little pots, mind you, but dozens of large plants. There were five giant pots on the ledge that hanged over the entrance. More were found on other ledges and sitting on the floor. The glass roof and front wall of the lobby allowed generous light in. The overall effect was warm, the exact opposite of the impersonal and cold white the hospitals of old were hated for.

Everyone was silent as Kaito led them through the hospital. Although he only arrived yesterday, Kaito memorized the way to his destination. Once he stopped at a door, he turned to watch their faces. As he predicted, Kurama's eyebrow raised as he read the name on the door.

Keiko was the next to recognize the significance of it. "Kuwabara!" Do you mean ..." She let her question dies, unable to finish as Yusuke moved her to the side so he could read it.

While anticipation choked Keiko silent and hope stole Yusuke's voice, it caused Botan to be giddy with the possibility. "Kaito, did you find Kuwabara Shoda? Kuwa-kun's father? Or one of the sisters? So one of them is still alive!"

"Yes, I found the father. As to if he is alive, yes and no." As they brewed over the paradox of an answer, Kaito opened the door.

Once they were able to look inside, everyone took note of the dreary atmosphere of the room. Despite the adequate lighting and the open blinds, there was a tangible gloom that hovered over the area. Being that it was a hospital, it goes without saying that was kept spotless and sanitized. However it felt odd in the room and a short ways past the doorway it became even odder. It was as if something was crawling over one's skin. Or sparks of energy were gliding across the room.

It seemed to affect Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama as they entered. Yusuke felt as if someone unseen was judging him. Hiei's Jagan eye glowed in response to it. While with Kurama the peculiar energy triggered the shift into Youko Kurama as he stepped over the threshold. The very moment they encountered the energy they started to scan the room. Hiei tore his headband off. A startled yelp caused everyone to dart back to the door.

There stood the last person to attempt to enter, Botan. Surprisingly, she encountered more resistance than the demons. Botan stood rigid, unable to move as the energies became visible and wrapped around her. It lasted less than a minute and then it was gone. "That..." gasping, Botan took a shaking step forward. "That was some high end spell warding!"

"Yes, questing magic. It's a spell designed to keep out specific beings." Kurama stated as he continued to search the room as he ignored Kaito's startled stare at his original form. "A questing type of ward can allow the caster to protect the area in question against a single type of creatures, in this case I suspect it's geared to ward off ghosts. That is why Botan, as a Reikai being, was more affected than the rest of us."

"Fox, the energy signature belongs to the hag." Hiei spoke up.

"Yeah, I thought so." Yusuke chimed in. "I should be able to recognize her power, I was trained by her."

"Kaito, has this happened before?" Kurama asked as he noted the surprise on Kaito's face.

"I first came here yesterday evening, after I confirmed that one of Kuwabara's family was here. I didn't see anything like what just happened. It appeared almost normal besides the odd feeling in here." Pausing for a minute, Kaito walked over to the side wall where no one had yet looked at. "I did find this though."

There on the wall was a complex drawing of symbols. With narrowed eyes, Kurama scrutinized it. "This is the focus for that questing spell. Having this focus, that explains why it's not a simple warding. A quest spell with a focus allows it still be active even when the castor is far away."

"That is not all, Minamino." Kaito called from the bedside of the occupant.

After recognizing the energy, everyone turned their curiosity to the patient. The man they knew only from the entries from a diary of horror. In their minds, they had pictured a man of great height and girth, similar to his son, Kazuma. But the figure in the bed was not what they imagined.

There laid a thin figure with no muscle definition, faded chestnut hair that was cut close to the scalp. His skin was sallow and dry. For tense minutes they watched as Kuwabara Shoda laid motionless. The only sound was the beeping of the monitor. Even Hiei noticed this still man bore no strong resemblance to their missing friends.

Botan was the first to break the silence. "Kaito, do you how long has he been in a coma?"

"I talked to a rather talkative nurse that has been here for years. Among other things, I learned that Kuwabara-san has been here for ten years." Kaito walked over to where Kurama was going over the seal. "A few minutes ago you said that you recognized the energy as Master Genkai's. Tell me, is that seal the work of Master Genkai's as well?"

A yes was the curt reply from all three demons.

"Then I should tell you something else that nurse told me. Although that old nurse didn't know her name, she told me that it was Kuwabara Shoda's mother that drew it."

All eyes shot to Kaito in a shocked silence. Finally Yusuke was able to speak. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"You are the one that said it was Master Genkai that casted the seal, so therefore yes, I am implying what you think I am." Kaito paused, pushing his glasses up before saying out loud what the others can hardly believe.

"Kuwabara Kazuma is the grandson of Genkai."

--tbc--


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Botan, say that one more time. I think I misunderstood. Did you just say that Genkai is Kuwabara's grandmother?" Of all things that Koenma thought Botan would report, this would never be among them. Hiei committing a mass murder? That is always a possibility. Kurama sneaking back and forth between two worlds? Nothing new there. Yusuke finally stopped having cold feet and announced a date for a wedding for Keiko and him? Now that would be news. But to hear that Kuwabara Kazuma is related to Genkai. That is unexpected.

"Hai, Koenma-sama, as I reported, the energies that ... detained ... me and the spell focus both radiated Genkai's energies. And a nurse said that it was Kuwabara Shoda's mother that drew the focus." Botan sighed in sympathy as Koenma buried his hands in his hands. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she looked at her companions. Botan noticed that they were all in some state of agitation. Hiei was glaring at noting in particular. Kurama had that far away glaze when he wonders over a troubling puzzle, not even bothering to move the red stands of hair the wind blew into his face. While Yusuke hadn't stopped mumbling since they left the hospital. "Well, Koenma-sama we are almost back at Genkai's. I'll report back in after we talk to Genkai."

"I still can't believe that we've been reading those damn books for two days now and it turns out that Genkai is related to them! Why didn't she tell us? Why keep it a secret?" Yusuke was upset but he showed some self-control by not throwing a hissy-fit. No, Urameshi Yusuke stopped himself from running in there and screaming some accusations at his first sensei. "Ya know, Kurama, you can stop it with the side glances of amazement now. No, I am _not _going to act like a spoiled brat. I plan on asking why she never told us."

Kurama stumbled as Yusuke's dead-pan voice caught him attempting to guess what Yusuke would do next. "Really? You suspect as well that she had an ulterior motive to keep us in the dark?"

"Past experience has shown that Genkai has reasons for the things she does. I was just remembering how we first met Kaito and the others. I thought they were some upstart punks, then it turned out that they were working for Genkai. At first glance it seemed as Genkai betrayed our trust. I never imagined that Genkai would pull such a ruse just to teach us a lesson." Pausing in the middle of the massive stairway, Yusuke took some time to reflect on past memories of a cranky old woman that has somehow wormed her way into his heart. Although he is still reluctant to admit that little fact. "I bet there she has her reasons for not telling us. I keep on remembering her saying that it was the events in those journals that hardened her. I won't promise that I'll like the reasons or accept them but I owe it to her to listen first."

Botan stopped dead in her track to turn to whisper to Kurama, "Kurama, did I hear him right?

Kurama smiled as he looked at the retreating back of their mutual friend. "You heard him correctly, Botan."

"I do believe that he is finally growing up." Koenma's voice preceded his sudden appearance by milliseconds. "I decided that I don't want to wait for Botan's report to find about connection between Genkai and the Kuwabaras. So I decided to sit in this meeting as well."

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Yusuke's voice rang out from the top of the stairs, sending the others to hurry their steps to catch up.

As they walked in the main room, they noticed that Genkai was already sitting there. There were cushions for everyone, even an extra one for Koenma. Teacups were ready and there were all three journals laying in front of her. But what caught their eyes were the few photos that were also scattered about. "Well I suppose you want to know the truth now that you've been to see Shoda."

"Yeah, old hag, I would like the truth. I promise to shut up and listen if you will tell us." The mild insult wasn't meant to harm, it was Yusuke's oldest nickname for her and over time, it had become some sort of endearment, on equal terms with 'Grandma'. When he first called her that, it was an outface insult to her age but as they got to know each other, it was as if she was a foster grandmother. He almost called her that now but he felt guilty of wanting to cry out 'Grandma!' when her real grandson and granddaughter are missing and they are reading how her other grandchildren were tortured and most likely killed by undead spirits.

For a few seconds warmth flared in Genkai's eyes, but soon the haunted and cold glaze returned. "Well, sit down and I'll start. As you already know that in the Dark Tournament there are five members to a team. And you already know the identity of two of my teammates from fifty years ago, the Toguro brothers. But I've not named the other two. One was Togashi, who died in the final rounds. And the last was Kuwabara Akira."

"What you mean that the old guy in the diaries that screamed like a girl was a teammate of yours? Why didn't he do anything more against those things? Koenma, you knew her partners, why did you realize this?" Shock caused Yusuke to momentarily forget about the promise he just gave. A glare from his mentor reminded him of it as he sat himself back down. "Sorry."

"Listen Dimwit, you obviously forgot how common the name Akira is, same with the family name Kuwabara. Both are popular. You can probably find three men with that name in one city alone, if not five. I hear that it's similar to the western name of John Smith. A dime a dozen. So That's why Koenma didn't raise an eyebrow at the name."

"Yes, that is a poplar name. Why I had four male spirits named Kuwabara Akira be processed just this week alone." When several eyebrows were raised, Koenma went on. "With the Kuwabara siblings' disappearance, I had an alert put on the name Kuwabara so if anyone with the name was processed, the case would be looked over. I did that in the rarest of chances of finding clues of their whereabouts. If one of them did die, I would be notified immediately."

Genkai spoke up quickly, mainly to stop anyone from yelling at Koenma's precaution. "Many of my techniques affect demons, and barely affect ghosts. Over the years since this nightmare started I've learned a few spells that can affect ghosts and spirits. But they are small in number against the spells I can use for demons. While my Reikai style is wonderful in kicking demon ass, the spirit energy alone can't deal with ghosts. Spells are needed to focus the energy properly. And to work those spells, reikan is needed. I have both but they're focused towards demons. Let me start from the beginning. Normally, I hate talking about my personal life to others. So I am not going to tell you brats if I shared a rowboat with Ototo Toguro under the pale moonlight as we talked about mortality and morality. I will say that we five became close during our tournament, just like your own tournament brought you all closer."

"Even that psycho older brother?" Yusuke had trouble picturing anyone being friends with Aniki Toguro, except another psycho, like Sensui.

Although annoyed by his outburst, Keiko merely put a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Yusuke, let her finish. We don't know how he acted before he became a youkai. He could have been completely opposite for all we know."

"That's bullshit," Yusuke huffed in annoyance. "He couldn't have done a 180 turnaround simply because he changed into a youkai. He had to be a psycho to begin with. I mean, look at me! My personality didn't change when I became a youkai."

"Bad example." Botan whispered to an amused Koenma.

With a sad sigh, Keiko faced her fiancé. "First off, you did change some Yusuke. The boy I grew up with would always tell me the instant he got even a hint that he was going out of town for any length of time, even it was just for two days. But after your demon blood awoke, you waited two weeks to tell me that you were going to leave me all alone for three long years."

"I..." Yusuke wanted to brush off that comment but he could see the unshed tears in her eyes. "I came back, " he murmured to her. "Keiko, I told you I would and I did."

"I know you did and I still love you." Kieko confided as she kissed him. After a heartfelt hug, Keiko spoke up again. "Secondly, I remember talking to Shizuru and Botan once before about ghosts and demons. Shizuru told me that sometimes a ningen goes insane after changing into a demon is the same reason some people go insane when they become ghosts. The difference in the natures, whether it's human and demon or living and dead, it can cause madness. Botan told me that is why the Spirit World has the system now that a ferry girl arrives before a scheduled death or a few seconds after an unscheduled one. They hope that a quick intervention helps the spirit from going mad. The way you became a demon was different from the Toguro brothers. You had demon blood in you, it was just dormant until your third death. The Toguros did not have a demon ancestor and they were changed by outside forces. That could have affected their personalities."

Keiko stooped for a breath, looking around to see that they were indeed thinking on what she had said. Daring a glance at Genkai, Keiko was happy to see not annoyance from the elderly rei master but approval that at least one of the youths are capable of deep thoughts. "Ironically, it's the topic of changing personalities brings us to the fact that odd friendships do exist, Yusuke. Just look at you and Hiei. Don't tell me 'there's no comparison.' I remember a three-eyed demon kidnapping me after he cut me down with a cursed sword that was going to change me into a demon. If that transformation would have succeeded, my personality would have changed, since I would have become a mindless slave! But three years later, you and Hiei are friends."

Three males stared at Keiko in shock as Botan patted her on the back. "You remember..." was Yusuke's weak reply.

"Yes, I remembered it in a dream, no, a nightmare during the Dark Tournament. That's my point in this tirade Yusuke, that it is possible for someone to be friendly with someone who's insane or homicidal. After all, Hiei has never shown any remorse for attacking me but you are still chums."

"Why haven't you acted against me if you remembered?" The fact is that Keiko remembered but never said anything before did not escape Hiei's notice.

Keiko shrugged. "I figured that you attacked me to get at Yusuke. Botan told me later that is was a strategy to hurt him since you two were on opposing sides. That's no longer true. You lost and now are on the same side as Yusuke."

After Keiko fell silent, everyone turned their attention back to Genkai. "It figures that the diversions would run out." She mumbled loudly with a sigh. With a sip of her tea, Genkai prepared to go on with her story. "Right after we won that tournament fifty years ago, we were happy for the most part. Happy that four of us survived. The odds were against us and we originally thought that if we did make it to the finals, then at least two, if not three, would die then. We mourned Togashi's death and had him cremated on the island. It was at the closing ceremonies that the wishes were granted. It was then that the brothers made their wishes to become demons. It was the last time I saw them until the time I went with you to another damned tournament."

I secluded myself once I returned. It took Akira to bring me out of the useless moping. About three months after the tournament Akira was attacked by a fire demon and Akira noticed he couldn't call on the same amount of reikai as he used to. It took me awhile to find out the cause. Back during the tournament, he was hit with a curse that slowly sapped him of his reikai. By the time I found a way to break curse, Akira's energy was too low for him to use in a fight. I was able to stop the curse before it could drain him of his life-force but the drop in spirit energy was permanent. We never found a way to return his reikai to its former level."

Botan spoke up from the far side. "So that's why there has been no mention of reikai, only of reikan in the journal. By the time Kuwa-kun was born, the loss of Akira-san's reikai would be old news and therefore there was no need to mention it in a diary nearly 30-35 years after the fact, right?"

"That still doesn't tell us how you ended up with Kuwabara's grampa or why you didn't tell Kuwa that you're his grandma." Yusuke griped.

"Yusuke," Kurama softly demanded his friend's attention. "Perhaps we should start calling our missing friend by his name, Kazuma. After all, this Akira had the same family name, thereby he also was Kuwabara."

"Humph! Let's get this over with! Akira and I stayed in contact and two years later we became lovers. It was four years after the tournament that we had our first and only child. We named our son Shoda. As for why I never told Kazuma." Genkai was distracted by Yusuke's surprise at using the given name. That was something that Genkai forced herself to stop once she found out that the lanky kid at her tournament was her own grandson. "Hey dimwit, stop imitating a fish. I forced myself to call him by his family name. After all it would be odd to Kazuma if I, a strange old hag to him, called him by his given name when only Shizuru and Yukina do so. You know that everyone else, even you and those three long-time friends of his, called…calls him by Kuwabara."

Yusuke sat there as he slumped his shoulders. "That's true." Everyone noticed Yusuke lost the desire to argue at Genkai's slip-up. 'I won't give up hope! We will find him. I swear it!' Squaring his shoulders with that thought, Yusuke glared at his former mentor. "Finnish your story so we can go back to those damn journals and find Kuwa...Kazuma. While you're at it, tell us how much of these journals you do know. You've said that you knew _some_ of what's going on them but not everything."

"The reason I didn't keep Kazuma and Shizuru is simple. I had too many enemies. Many of the scruple-less demons would resort to harming young children. Some demons even 'feed' on children. Remember Gouki?" Genkai stayed quiet as both Yusuke and Kurama were startled.

After recovering, Kurama spoke up. "I have to agree that it would be too dangerous to have children around here with so many enemies."

"They stayed with me for a year before I was able to find someone to care for them until Shizuru was old enough herself. I had her promise not to tell Kazuma or anyone that they are related to me. Once he started to work with you, dimwit, he made enemies of his own. Think of how those numbers would have doubled, tripled even, if demons learned that he is related to me. After the crap with Sensui, I realized that Kazuma is stronger than I ever hoped he would be. As for how much I know, I only was aware that my son's family was being haunted by extremely malicious ghosts. And as you have already guessed, several of the family were killed by those forces. A few others in these journals died in unusual circumstances. It's not clear to everyone what the cause of death was."

"Take the case of Holmes, for instance. After the events we are reading about now he dies in a not-so-clear accident. Official reports say he jumped out of a window of a sky-rise building. Several witnesses say it looked as if an invisible force pushed him. Others said he stumbled, as if he had trouble walking. That's about all I knew about the events before Shoda went into a coma and the kids came to stay with me. That was when Kazuma was four. It took a year for me to find someone to care for and protect the kids. As I already said, at that time I didn't have much experience with ghosts. I limited how often I contacted them for fear of demons finding them, so I didn't hear from them until their caregiver, Mariko, was killed and they came back here for a short time, then Yoshiko went missing. Shizuru was fourteen by then and she went to live on her own taking care of eight year old Kazuma."

For some time, no one dared to speak after Genkai fell silent.

--TBC--

Ages

Okay I think that I gave out the Kuwabara siblings ages before if not here it is again. These are the ages of the sisters when Kazuma was born

Jun --10

Shizuru -- 6

Yoshiko - 4 1/2

Misao -- 2

There have been a few people pointing out that I'm using a few Japanese words in my story, I'll add definitions below. I'm sorry if it's caused any confusion. Any questions go ahead and ask in review. Some words are common here in the anime section but there are new people all the time. Also I've notice that many new people ( and a few others) get some words mixed up. That understandable, but we need to try to get the right words. If you know that I messed up some here, let me know. If I think you're right I'll fix it. If not, I'll defend it and ask a third party to judge.

One site I use for translations is at There are several languages to choose. I choose the English -to-Japanese. Then I type in the Japanese word to translate into English, since some word can have several meanings.

Sensei teacher, master. Most westerners don't like the term of master due the 'master & slave' image the single word brings up, that is the wrong idea. Master here indicates that person has mastered some sort of learning , example Master of Karate, or for YYH Genkai is a Master of Reikai

Aniki this is NOT a name but a title. Translates to one's senior, elder brother. So Aniki Toguro translates to Elder Toguro

Ototo same as above, NOT a name, This one is for younger brother. Ototo Toguro translates to Younger Toguro.

-sama honorific term of the highest regards, On par with Lord. example- Sesshoumaru-sama - Lord Sesshoumaru


	10. Chapter 9

**WARNING!! WARNING!!**

I have warned you that the journal would get darker and gory. Well, I warning you here and now that the entries from now to Kazuma's arrival will be very disturbing. If you have a weak stomach, do not eat during or right before reading this. If you have difficulty with horror stories at all, you should not be reading this story.

You may want to keep some tissues on one side and an empty bucket on another. I grossed myself out on this one.

Any spelling/grammar mistakes in the entry forms are on purpose, and not an accident of the author.

**Chapter 9**

_Entry 38 by Amanda_

_12:15 A.M. Monday 13, May_

_Everyone has been up for up for an hour now since a loud explosion awoke everyone up at eleven P. M. It was so loud that we originally had trouble discerning its location of origin. All three religious men felt something at that time, something evil. That, in itself should come to no surprise after these past four months of vile haunting. However, Father MacGavin said it is if a great evil had arrived. Shino suggested that it may have been here the entire time and just now awakened. It was truly strange. For some sinister reason, the ghostly assault weakened and nearly stopped after that explosion. No one is relaxing though, we fear that something far more evil has come our way. We asked the ghostly monk if he would investigate the explosion. That was one hour ago._

_There are few things to write about currently except the fear that is imbedded itself deep within our souls. Several of us are going to die in this house. I am certain of the fates for my eldest daughter and myself. According to Jun's dream, even when Misao is older, she will still be haunted by the hateful ghosts. In that dream, Misao is only 'a little older'; does that mean she will survive this house only to die in another in a few scant years?_

_At least Shizuru, Yoshiko and my son will survive. My son! As I sit here writing this, I rub my swollen belly. At least I know that my son will eventually have some mystical powers and obtain some magical swords to protect himself later in life._

_12:55 A.M_

_The ghostly monk finally returned and he brought another ghost, no, more like a creature of death, to side with us. For he returned with an undead but very animated skeleton dressed in a brown robe with red pinpoints in the eye sockets. It is a crypt keeper. Ancestral crypt keepers are the raised spirits of the dead that have returned to guard the tombs of their descendants. It is said that it acts only to defend its crypt. If any seek to violate the sanctity of its tomb, the crypt keeper becomes animated._

_The ghost of the monk met the crypt keeper at the tombs, for that is where the explosion happened. The crypt keeper told us that the explosion actually was centered on my mother's tomb. On investigation, it found not only does it looks like the explosion happened from the inside, but my mother's corpse was missing! _

_After both the Irate Monk and the crypt keeper left, Shino went out to investigate the desecration of my mother's tomb. It was horrible enough that these vicious ghosts are tormenting my family, now they disturb the rest of the dead! Why would they attack my mother's tomb?_

_2:11 A.M. _

_It's been two hours since Shino left. I've only gotten snippets of sleep and it was mostly out of exhaustion. Dread has prevented most of us from having some quality sleep. Ever since that explosion earlier, the sense of a foreboding evil has grown. The fear in here is tangible. My daughters refuse to leave my side even as I write this horror down. My sweet little Misao is snug against my hip while Jun and Shizuru hug each other against my back. Dear gods! I wish some-how that I could get them out of here and to their father's side. For some time there has been a static interference that has prevented me from telepathically contacting Shoda. Since the explosion though, the resistance to whenever I try to use my telepathy is far worse. I tried to contact Shoda and my father at 1:30, but searing agony shot through my head, and I fell unconscious. Not only was I out for an hour but I am told that I had a severe nose bleed. Both Kohaku and Father MacGavin demanded that I do not try to use my telepathy again. They both agree that if something is powerful enough to prevent the communication between two minds that it may be strong enough to possess a person! This means I will never get to say "I love you" one final time before I die._

_S__hoda, dearest husband, if this book survives this nightmare and I do not, know in your heart that I love you!_

With shaking hands, Genkai put the journal down so she could pick the teacup up. Despite the presence of two hands, the cup still rattled ominously against the saucer. No one spoke for several minutes. The mood of the most recently read entry permeated the air, creating a dreary atmosphere.

"Genkai," Koenma spoke softly. "Do you know what is going to happen?"

"It's the beginning of the end, Koenma." She sadly sighed. "It's the beginning of the true terror that I know only a little about, and an end to the happy family." With that dark statement, the tired old master handed the journal to another. "Kurama, you read."

_6 A.M. _

_Dear gods, these past few hours -- they have been far worse than what has transpired before! It is only at the insistence of the others that I write the horror down. As Father MacGavin has said, this journal may be the only way for the outside world to know what transpired within these walls that are alive with unholy power._

_Earlier, Kohaku finally returned but..._

_Deep breaths, I need some deep breths, I must stay calm._

"Okay now that has me worried." Yusuke commented over Kurama's shoulder. "It's obvious from what all we've read that this lady like to write and speak proper-like and all. Now we can see that she's panicked all right."

From the other side of the room, Keiko spoke up. "Why do you say that, Yusuke?"

"It was that last line, Kieko. Where she wrote 'I need some deep breaths', if she wasn't panicking then she would have written it grammatically correct 'I need to take some deep breaths'." Kurama explained.

"That and the fact that there's a spelling mistake." Keiko was about to speak up but Yusuke was quicker. "Remember Jun's first entry, she said that their mom was freaky on spelling correctly. I bet that all those entries that Genkai read didn't have a spelling mistake in them. So if bad grammar and spelling mistakes suddenly pop up, she must be scared out of her wits."

_If this was some movie, I would say that there is no way that a mother could be in such a horrifying situation and write about it in a journal. I should not be able to keep my hand still enough to write as it shook with fear. I fear that although I am able to write at moment, I fear my handwriting may be so horrible that it's unreadable._

_I cannot throw this book away and let my fears rule me. I must keep a hold on my emotions. I know that I will die, I have feared that for days now. However, I must be strong until the end, for my children. My husband, my father and one of my daughters are on the outside. Let this journal be a witness to the horrors we faced in our final moments, a means to let our loved ones know what we faced on the inside._

_I am sorry, the horror that need to record to so great that I am having difficulty writing. At four it was after two hours have passed and Shino had yet to return, Father MacGavin decided to go out in order to search for him despite our pleas. He was correct, we need to know what we are facing but still ... Kohaku would stay behind with the children, my father-in-law Akira and myself. However the good father did not get too far, just a couple of feet outside the door, when we heard his cry of "Good Lord protect us!" was heard and his footsteps ran back to our shelter. He tried to stop us from looking outside as he re-entered. However the children were short enough that their line of sight was not blocked._

_At their screams, he rushed to shut the door as quickly as possible. All it took was a second to see what terrified my poor girls and my own scream echoed throughout the room, joined by Jun's repeated cries of denial. As I sat there, trying to console my daughters, Father MacGavin told Kohaku and Akira what he found only fifty feet from the door._

_It was a corpse of a man! Since there was only one person under this roof that is not present, then that corpse must be what's left of Shino. One would think that we that we could identify the dead form of our friend easily. There was a good reason why had to resort to conjectures, to figure out whose body it was. We could not identify it by sight alone. To our horror, it was flayed!_

_The corpse had not an inch of skin left on it!_

_We tried to collect ourselves and figure out what to do, how to escape. I already know that for some of the people that were in this house will live, five others will die. Already three of the survivors are outside. _

_My beloved husband, Shoda._

_My father, Adam._

_And my daughter, Yoshiko._

_Despite my dark thoughts, I agree with the others on finding a way out. For somehow the other survivors need to get out of here. If Jun's dream comes true then Shizuru, Misao, Kohaku and my soon-to-be born son, Kazuma, will survive. With those desperate thoughts, I remembered that my father has blueprints to the house and lands. I had looked over them with fascination when I was younger. I remember that there were secret passageways through the house and estate __**including some tunnels that lead out that start in the crypts!**__ I told the others and asked that if the crypt keeper is truly driven to protect the tombs of my ancestors, then that would be the greatest chances of escape. They agreed, so now we have the smallest glimmer of hope. _

_Father MacGavin, Akira and I shared a knowing look. We may be fated to die, but we refuse to do so lying down! We will fight to survive to the very end! Who knows, fate may be foretold but it is not permanent. Perhaps we can cheat fate as some has cheated death._

_First of all, we would have to reach my father's study on the second floor in order to find the blueprints. From there, we will have to find a way from the second floor to the basement that has a tunnel to the Mausoleum and the crypts. Thankfully there is a spiral staircase hidden in the kitchens that goes to the upper floors we used. We did not have to use that treacherous grand staircase that slowed us down before. We made it to the study with no incident about 4:30. We were searching for the blueprints when we heard something crash somewhere down the halls._

_Father MacGavin and Kohaku immediately started to reinforce the protections they first set up. I finally found the small book behind a statue. The book has the floor plan and the secret passageways printed within. We were looking over it when one of the ofuda that was on the door burned to a crisp. Father MacGavin and Kohaku took ready to battle, while ordering me to look through the book to see if there was a hidden door we can use to get out. _

_For several seconds, nothing happened as the door never opened. It was Misao who screamed 'Look under the door! It's coming in under the door!" There we saw something slithering forward. It looked like a long tentacle of a yellowish-tan with five smaller ones at its end. Shizuru screamed out that it looked "like a flat arm". In disbelief, I looked closer. Akira yelled for me to look in the book and find a way out as he ran to the west wall and took up the blood-stained bastard sword my father had hanging there. He stood between the door and myself, ordering the children to stay behind us. I looked through the book, only sparing quick glances at was happening. I yelled for Shizuru when she and Jun ran to the wall of books beside us to grab some books and a book bag._

_Soon more of the creature squeezed under the door and we saw a patch of black hair. As more of it oozed forth, it ignored the prayer recited by Father MacGavin and the ofuda thrown by Kohaku. The ofuda seemed to bounce off a barrier three, perhaps four inches from this vile thing. It rose up on two of the long tentacles and we could see what exactly we were facing. _

_The 'tentacles' were indeed flattened arms. What we saw was the empty skin of our dead friend, Shino! Whatever killed him and took his skin was able to the grisly deed while keeping Shino's shin intact. Now, this empty skin is moving with unholy force!_

_While they were unable to drive the thing back, they were able to keep it from advancing on us. We stood at an impasse for several minutes, until I finally found a hidden door that book showed in the north-western corner and twisted the neck on the statue of an Irish wolfhound. When it finally opened we ran inside. The hidden door swung closed before Shino's skin could slither halfway across the room, slowed down by the ofuda._

_The air was musty, Akira said that was a good sign that there was poor air circulation and hopefully that meant that there were very little openings for things to crawl under. Father MacGavin found a lantern that was left by the door for use and thankfully it still had oil to burn. When we finally reached the end of the hidden passageway there was a door, on going through it, we found ourselves in a small empty area and faced a second door. Each of the doors had strange symbols on them. There were several mandalas and other symbols. The only one I could recognize instantly was the Seal of Solomon. A circle with two triangles within, it is a protection against evil. As the blueprints showed, there were a series of three doors before reaching a little used small study. On entering, we saw it was sparsely furnished with only one desk and chair with two bookcases. I sat down to find the page that would, hopefully would show another hidden door, I really didn't want to go back the way we came!_

_Father MacGavin continued to recite prayers for protection. Kohaku began a mantra to ward off evil. Akira looked at the bookcases. He discovered some books recorded the better known ghosts of the estate. One book was titled 'The Secret History of the Shady Manor'. On the first page it stated that the manor has also been called the Bogy House and the House of Shades. With hearing those names, the current one becomes clear to me. I had always though the Shadow Manor was referring to the vast amount of trees and the forest that surround the estate. No, it refers to the haunting that happen here. There were several other books that caught our attention such as a Monstrous Manual, the_ _Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Egyptian Book of the Dead. _

_Jun cried out that she found something. She had been looking though one of the books that she had grabbed. A cold chill ran through me at reading the title, Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead. At first I wanted to say that it was some gaming book for Dungeons & Dragons or the like. After all, look at the title, I may not be fluent in Greek or Latin, whichever the case may be, but I thought mortis means death or dead not undead. Whatever the origin of the Libris Mortis, the past events make me believe that at least some of the creatures described within are real. For what Jun had found was on page 100, a picture of something that looked exactly we just faced in my father's main study. The picture showed an empty skin moving on its own. It's called a Forsaken Shell. This is what the book says_

_"_Forsaken shells are the empty skins of past victims, devoid of body fluids, tissue and bone. The loose skins are quite elastic and possess a surprising strength. They are driven by necromagic and a predatory nature that cannot be refused. ... Creatures killed by a forsaken shell shed their skin within an hour of death. These new forsaken shells are under the influence of the spawner, until the original shell dies or the new one becomes strong enough to break free. ... Forsaken shells are aggressive, but prefer to surprise attacks against a single victim."

_Does that mean that there is another out there, the one that killed Shino? If they prefer to attack single victims, why did Shino's shell attack all of us? Kohaku suggested that something else is influencing it. Perhaps whatever evil creature that desecrated the crypts? _

_I found a hidden trap door on the floor that will take us back to the first floor, from there we have to use a hidden passageway that seems to be a series of steps surrounded by water that will lead us to the fun room where there is a hidden stairway on the carousal. That stair case will lead us to the basement levels._

_We must be on our way so I must stop writing, hopefully my next entry will show that we reach the fun room without another death__._

_TBC_

Disclaimer _**the Libris Mortis: The book of Undead**_ really is a Dungeons & Dragons game book and is owned by Wizards of the Coast.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_Entry 39 Monday 13,May_

_Noon_

_Despite my hopes, reaching the fun room did cost us another life._

_I should start at the beginning._

_We made it to the first floor without an incident occurring, we took the left-hand hall until it ended in front of two sets of oversized, dark oak doors. The map indicated to take the doors that had its right door carved with a fox in flight and its left one had a dozen bloodhounds bounding through a forest. Once inside, I realized that we entered the trophy room. _

_I couldn't help but stare at the buck's head that was mounted over the fireplace as the memory came to mind. I know I should write about what happened but as I face my own mortality I cannot help but remember the times I spent with my father. If I close my eyes right now, I can smell the wetness of the spring grass after the shower. Ahead was my father and Akira, my father-in-law, both sat tall in their respective saddles. We were on a fox hunt. Akira was visiting to give wishes on the first wedding anniversary of my marriage to Shoda. There were only a few fluffy clouds on that day as we rode the rough shod terrain after the sly fox. The excitement had my blood pumping within my veins, I could hear my own pulse that seemed to echo the rhythm of the chestnut mare's hoofs. The baying of the foxhounds caught my attention. I turned towards the hounds when I heard a commotion. The hounds started to bark in agitation when the sound of tree limbs breaking echoed through the forest. I urged my mount into a full gallop, the greens of leaves and the browns of tree bark blurred together as I raced ahead, I recognized the sound as a deer that crossed the path of the first prey, the fox. This has happened before, we would start out hunting a fox or perhaps quail when we would stumble on a deer. Such a meeting usually meant a good feast that night._

_Unexpectedly, howls of pain were heard. I remember frowning at that ear splitting sound. My father's hounds were not only purebreds, but were very well trained. When faced with a frightened deer, they would circle around it in attempts to stop it from bolting away, it was not uncommon for a deer to panic ad cause serious injury to a hound if the dog should get close enough to get kicked. Shoda was right behind me and both father and Akira were behind him. Laughter rang out as Shoda chided our fathers for being so slow that a couple of upstarts such as ourselves were able to pass them by. Suddenly, our attention was given to the fleeing dogs, over half of the pack, who all had their tails between their legs as they ran out of sight. We later learned that they didn't stop running until they reached the kennels. I slowed my steed down as I reached a clearing. There stood a great stag, even though he was facing away from me, I could tell that his heavy antlers were wider than my arm width. A few brave dogs stood their ground, growling. What shocked me were the stilled bodies of six hounds that were trampled. We have lost some hounds on hunts before, but never this many at once. My blood ran cold as the stag stopped rearing up and started to turn around. A high pitched bark from the side drew my attention to the red fox that the hounds were originally chasing. I watched as the fox acted so unusual. When it bolted away, I thought that the fox was reacting to the stag. For some reason, it was afraid of the stag and I remember doubting that it was just because of the stag could trample it._

_A howl of pain caused me to look back at the clearing, and my face paled as the blood drained from it. This stag had _**bitten**_ a hound. Now if it is unusual for a deer to protect itself by snapping I have no idea. However, then and now, I am certain that is was not normal behavior for a stag to bite down on a dog and shake it as if it's trying to break the dog's neck. That is what this stag did and more. As this beast began to charge at me, the men arrived in time the shoot it. Later on they told me that I must imagined things in the shock, for deer are herbivores and they would not eat chunks of dog meat. They said that what I saw was a deer that was rabid. Back then I convinced myself that the stag bit in defense and what I saw was the blood mixing with the foaming at the mouth that rabid animals experience. However, with the past day's events, I am forced to review those early visits to this estate with open eyes. I am sure that I saw the mad creature swallow chunks of flesh and for a fleeting moment as it charged at me, its eyes glowed with a pinprick of red light. _

_ Now I wonder, was the stag possessed by a low level ghost or spectre? It was five days after the encounter with the stag that Shoda sent me to the doctors and I found out that I was pregnant with Jun. Could that encounter been a prelude of what was to come?_

_Thinking back on that night, over ten years later, I find myself glad that father beheaded the stag and only stuffed the head. I would rather not look upon the full body of that beast with the horror that surrounds us._

_Enough reminiscing, it is time for me continue on. Where was I? Oh, yes we were in the trophy room. It took me a few minutes to find the lever that would open the hidden door to the water's passageway, as it was titled in the book that mapped out the estate. The lever is the raised paw of a bronze statue of a hunting dog. Once it is depressed, the portrait of Herne the Hunter swings open from the left side, revealing the door. It is amazing what wonders are hidden in my childhood home. I wish I could have seen them without the horror._

_As the door opened, we could see why it was called the water's passageway. The passageway was a canal inside the house. The bottom of the channel ranged from two to - I guessed about sex feet under water. Lining both walls are what looked at first site to be shelves that ran down the entire length of the passageway. On inspection though, they were narrow trenches filled with oil. On setting it aflame, the fire ran down the trenches, lighting the way. To my amazement though, there were mirrors on the ceiling that reflected the light, amplifying it. Breaking the water's surface was pillars of white marble. The steps were not at all even; sometimes they rose up one after the other, creating rising steps, then they would began to descend. As we went down the passageway we sometimes had to use steps that were one to three inches underwater._

_It was dangerous to use the ascending steps after we walked through the water. Our wet feet kept slipping on the steps. The polished marble gave no traction. Add to that fact that Kohaku carried Jun while Akira carried Misao since the girls still wore leg casts._

"Damn! I forgot two of the kids had broken legs." Yusuke swallowed the dread that rose in his throat. "Maybe Shizuru would have trouble too, she's got that arm cast."

"Maybe?" Keiko asked dubiously.

"Well, it depends on what the length of the cast is. Think of it, when you're high up and trying to balance, you put both arms out to the side. If you start to lose your balance, you send both arms into cartwheel motion."

"I see what you mean, Yusuke. If Shizuru's cast went only to the middle of her forearm, then most likely she would be able to use her arm for balance. But if she had a cast that went past the elbow, she wouldn't have been able to use the arm for balance. If she tried to spin her arms while wearing a full arm cast, she would risk losing her balance."

_It was not easy on Shizuru or me, either. I will say this, there is nothing like a massive belly to make things difficult. I could climb the grand staircase with a minimum amount of trouble. I know where the steps are; they do not alternate between ascending and descending. More importantly to any pregnant woman it that the steps are wide and there are rails!_

_Not only did I have trouble seeing the steps that averaged about two feet by two feet, but waddling about as I am, the fact that the steps had no railings nor an adjoining wall was inviting disaster. I can be only thankful that we were descending from the tallest point when it started._

_We were on the step, somewhere between six to ten feet above the water. It was difficult to gauge the exact distance in the dim light. Our fears were heightened when we heard a buzzing that echoed through the tunnel, bouncing off the walls. At first, it reminded me of those science documentaries on insects. The smell was the next thing we noticed, actually it was Akira the first noticed and identified it. _

_I remember him stopping right in front of me to take a deep breath. He then turned around and asked "Does anyone else smell that?" When we said yes, Jun asked what it was. Akira gave his first grandchild a saddened look as he answered._

_"Blood."_

_It was the coppery tang of blood in the air that was paired with that infernal buzzing that caused us to try to go faster on those slippery steps. It was when we reached a level part of the steps that we first caught a glimpse of what was approaching. It looked like a red cloud that was buzzing and smelled like blood._

_The others echoed my own screams as we noticed that something was moving inside that cloud!_

_At first, we dared not to jump off the steps and run through the water, it was deep and would slow us down. Several times, Akira had to let one of Misao's legs drop so he could use that one free hand to grab Shizuru or myself as we started to stumble._

_Do not let this entry fool you._

_I may sound calm but it is a facade. It has taken me several hours of crying before I could even attempt to open this journal and write what most recently has transpired. Everyone had a part of calming me as well, even the undead. Both the crypt keeper and the ghost we call the Irate Monk reminded me of the importance of the journal. The events at this haunted house __**must **__be recorded. It has taken some time however I suspect that the ghostly monk has much to do with calming me. I've noticed that since the deaths began and I start to shake, he walks near me. I can feel the coldness that accompanies ghosts and after his passing, I have calmed down. _

_However it happened, I am thankful that I have calmed down and I began to record how the latest death has happened. _

_The cloud seemed to be faster than we were, for as fast as we tried to go, this unnatural thing was still gaining on us. The buzzing increased and soon we could see that whatever was in cloud was large. Then Shizuru pointed at it, screaming "There's more than one thing in that!" She panicked and turned too fast, losing her balance. Akira tried to grab her but the momentum she had caused him to fall as well, taking Misao._

"Aw, man!" Everyone agreed with Yusuke's exclamation. The tension was building. They knew that another of that group would die. But not who or how. "It's obvious that Shizuru survived, but what about the others? Damn, I can't believe that I used to think that I had a worse childhood than Kuwa - Kazuma. Bah, it's hard calling him that."

_Thank the gods that the water was deep enough and we were only a few feet above it so the fall didn't hurt anyone. Also, the water wasn't too deep so they were not in danger of drowning once Akira picked little Misao up. By then the cloud was closing in. As it came nearer, we could see that there were a score of creatures inside it and they were not small. Those of us still on the steps hurried as fast as we could, quickly reaching a point where the steps were only inches above water. Since Akira was walking in the water, we could tell that the floor was descending, making the water level rise. It reached the point where Shizuru had to throw her good arm around her grandfather's neck. By then, we could see the inside of cloud._

_Dear gods, it was filled with insects of enormous size. Imagine a mosquito that was over one hundred times its natural size, with an unnatural bloodlust. That is what we faced, not one, but a score of them. Those monsters were as big as a man's hand! Before we could react, they had reached us. A normal mosquito's bite is nothing compared to these beasts' sting as they bit. These undead insects bites were as if we were being stabbed with stilettos. I fell to my knees with the intent to protect my belly, my son. The pain was so bad, I have no idea how may were biting me when Kohaku told us to jump into the water, dive under and swim. I remember hearing Akira yelling at Misao and Shizuru to take a deep breath._

_As I jumped in, I saw Kohaku jumping with Jun. I am thankful that swimming underwater was easier that walking! I was able to keep up with the others. We would rise up only to take a breath a few times. We had to stop when our hands reached a wall. On rising out of the water, we saw that there was an opening just above the water level. As we started to crawl into the new and dry tunnel, I looked for everyone._

_I quickly noticed that Father Mac Gavin was missing. We looked back the way we came ... Gods, even though it's been hours since then, I still shudder with horror at what we saw._

_The good father was not able to reach the safety of the water. His prostrate form lay sprawled over the steps. That unnatural bloody cloud had dispersed ... after the creatures feasted on Mac Gavin's blood. Based on what we saw of the multitude or puncture wounds and his withered appearance, I would have to say they swarmed on the on the poor man, draining his blood._

_We traveled down this last stretch of tunnel in silence until we reached the end. There were five doors. I opened the one that had the cold, rustic iron handle in the form of a jester's face. The creaking of the door echoed as Kohaku walked in first. I was startled at the sudden swish of paper. I looked up to see it was only Kohaku using some ofuda to protect the area as we rested. We did not dally but went to the carousel after a few minutes. At its center tower was the door to a spiral staircase that took us down to the tunnel that connects to the crypts. In an hour's time we safely arrived at the family crypt. _

_As we rested under the protection of the Crypt Keeper, we had to see to the girls casts. The swim ensured that they were all drenched. At first we were not certain what to do. The doctors told us to keep the casts dry, yet there we sat and they were dripping wet. Do we risk that the bones are healed enough and remove the casts? Finally we decided that we could not keep the wet things on the girls, after all, the soggy mess were no longer helpful to the girls. If any of the girls has some pain after the removal, we would use wooden sticks and strips of clothing to immobilize the offending limb._

_Kohaku removed the ruined casts as I was writing. I can now say how the girls fared. Thankfully, Jun is having no problems at all. Misao is wincing a little, but is able to move about. Shizuru is able to move her arm but I can see that it is painful to her. She refuses to allow Kohaku to "tie her arm up in a bunch of sticks", end quote. I insisted that she use a sling then. She tried to argue, however Akira, her dear Grandpa Kuwa told her that it helps with the pain and if she needed to use her arm, then she could pull her arm out._

_We will rest here and attempt to get some much needed sleep while under the protection of the ancestral spirit that guards the family tombs, that creature we know only as the Crypt Keeper. It has told us about a tunnel that leads from the crypts to the outside of the house. The friendly ghosts have stated that the evil is only beginning to extend outside the house and does not come close to the entrance of the tunnel. _

_For now, that it._

_So far ... That is all I can say to that news. So far those abominations haven't reached it. I wanted to leave immediately for the tunnel, while it was confirmed to be clear. It was Abigail that pointed out that we have to rest. If we push on without resting, we will not be able to run as fast or react quick enough to survive. I am exhausted I cannot stand so I have to rest as they insist. I can only hope that the evil does not close off our escape route._

TBC

The idea for the blood cloud came from the Libris Mortis, and the entry on the Bloodmote Cloud. Again I own just a copy of the book but I don't own the copyrights.

Fellow writers keep a dictionary by you as you type -- it help save you from embarrassment. I had to look up the word prostrate to ensure I spelled it correctly. I didn't, it was originally spelled prostate XX

no the poor Father Mac Gavin was already going to be killed but his family jewels were not to be damaged so I had to go and correct that spelling!


	12. Chapter 11

_**Note Spelling and Grammar errors in Amanda's entry are due to the emotional stress she is under and NOT the fault of the author. As for with Brother James, he's not used to writing in the modern style of English Since he's from the CENSORED . The preceding was blocked out due to the fact it was a spoiler to this chapter. All mistakes in the entries are intentional.**_

_**Chapter 11**_

_Entry 40 _

_Monday evening, 3 P.M._

_By Amanda_

_We have rested for several hours now. We did not sleep well but it was still sleep that has been denied to us for the past fifteen hours since that explosion last night. Even before that, our sleep was troubled by these new and malevolent specters. That explosion ... now that I am down here in the crypts, the need to see my mothers' desecrated tomb had filled me. I will stop writing for now. I will continue this entry afterwards._

_It took some time to convince the Keeper to show me the damage. After he ... it ... saw that I was serious; it led me to the southern end of crypt. There, I could see the large bas-relief doors my father had made for mother's tomb._

"Okay, is it just me or does this house sound fancy?" Yusuke asked with no sarcasm but with actual curiosity as he turned to Keiko. "It's call a manor earlier but the fancy doors, a family crypt on the lands, the tunnels, the description sounds like a mansion."

Keiko didn't have an answer. "I always get confused on the different titles for the style of homes westerners have."

"A mansion is a very large or stately residence. In a dictionary there are three definitions for manor: 1) a feudal estate, 2) the main house on an estate. Number three is the most accurate since it specifies for England the landed state of a lord." With that Kurama went on reading. Or tried to when Yusuke asked what 'landed' meant, if the Bogy House was near the sea. "In the English language landed means owning land."

_The massive doors were blown off just as the Irate Monk (I never have asked him what his name was!) told us. They were indeed lying as if they were blown off from the inside out. I walked into the crypt for the first time since I was Jun's age. It has been that long since my mother died._

_I looked for some of the tapestries that my father hung in there, ones that were the most loved out of my mother's collection. They once hanged on the walls of the massive tomb and were now missing. I was shocked when I finally found the burnt and tattered remains of the once magnificent works of art. They were only tapestries; there were no living creatures within the tomb. Why would these hateful specters have the need to destroy them? As I looked around, I saw that the lid to the marble sarcophagus is laying several feet away. No mortal could have moved it by himself. The coffin inside was damaged as well. The lid was in pieces and there were burn marks that looked as if they began from the inside. I noticed a pattern, which I pointed out to the keeper. It seems that the explosion originated within my mother's coffin, which blew the sarcophagus lid into the doors of the crypt. The Crypt Keeper agreed but we were at loss as to why the culprit would want to take my mother's corpse._

_As we started down the tunnel that would take us to the outer lawns, Misao stayed at my side, clinging to my dress in her small hands. Although she could walk again since the cast was off, she was too scared to run about. Unlike the smooth walls of the water passageway, this tunnel's beginning was carved out of rock. All around us was the rough, dark gray of stone. Every time the rocks would groan as the earth settled, we would jump in fright, thinking that it was a new attack. After an hour's walk and no encounter, we were forced to rest as we came to a blockade. It looked as if it was a cave-in. The flashlights that some of the semi-corporal ghosts brought us showed that at this point parts of the tunnel was formed not out of stone but smaller rocks and dirt, held in place by a massive system of tree roots. Actually, the girls rested as the adults dug through the dirt and rock pile. I was helping as well until Akira heard me panting, my breath labored with the extrusion and fear. He made me sit down and write. I plan on helping as soon as--_

_"_Why did you stop, Kurama?" Yusuke wasn't the only one that nearly fell on his fac_e _asKurama's smooth voice suddenly stopped.

"The entry stopped at that point, Yusuke. Mrs. Kuwabara's writings ended that suddenly." Kurama answered as he flipped a few pages quickly. "There's more on the next page but it appears to be a different entry, several hours later on in the day, and not a continuation of the last sentence." With a pause, Kurama swept a look across the room before speaking more. "I've glanced at the next couple of pages and I do not see her handwriting after the next page."

"Shit."

_Monday 7:28 PM_

_When will this horror end? _

_How many more of us will die? Gods protect us, I already know that answer. Shino, Mac Gavin and now Akira are dead._

_I previously left off as we were digging through the blocked tunnel. That reason - I meant ther - the reason I stopped do - soabruptly was that we were attacked. Oh Gods please have mearcy!_

_They_

_Gods I don't want to relive it!_

_The Irate Monk is correct. The events inthis house need to be written down, recorded._

_But I don't_

_I don't want to write about __**that**__!_

_Someone else write please let someone else wirte now!_

_Dear Gods, it just like Jun's dreams_

"Aw man -- she's next." Yusuke whispered, causing his fiancée to stare at his pale face.

"Yusuke, we don't know that." Keiko weekly protested.

Yusuke balked at that, shaking his head. "Bull, you're the one that pointed out that the only family alive that's listed in that damn book is Kuwa ... Kazuma, Shizuru and their pop who's in a coma. Everyone else must be dead, you said so yourself. Remember that dream the oldest sister had? Their ma just gave the order of who died first ..."

"In the dream the girl looked into the coffins." Hiei spoke up from the wall where he lounged against. "The first coffin had Shino, second was Mac Gavin and third was the grandfather, Akira. After that is the mother then the eldest child, Jun."

"Even though we know that the family is going to die or go missing ... reading about it is so different. Before they were just names, but from reading this journal ... it's as if we knew them. " Botan shook her head. As a death deity, Botan worked with the souls of the recently departed before her appointment as assistant to Yusuke during his tenure as a spirit detective. However, there are special ranks of spirit guides that are trained to recover the souls of people who have a highly traumatic death. Botan was a rank 3 guide, the highest traumatic death she dealt with were medium empathic range. As such she never had to face events as what written in the journal. Shino's death most likely falls into rank 4. Mac Gavin, Akira and any others inside the house are rank 5, the highest and most dangerous. These are deaths that are drawn out, giving the dying time build up emotional distress.

Kurama frowned as he looked over the page. "Interesting, the handwriting abruptly changes. It is as if someone else was writing."

"So?" Yusuke didn't see why that was relevant. He pointed out that other people have written in the journal before.

"True, but they always started a new entry, not start in the middle of someone else's entry." Koenma countered.

"How about everyone shut up and I can take over reading?" Genkai finally snapped as she grabbed the book. Several people shared a guilty look. Although Genkai knew that her son and his family were haunted, that her daughter-in-law and some grandchildren were murdered by the supernatural; for years Genkai did not know the details of what they went through. However, in this first volume of three journals, they are discovering the gory and horrifying facts.

_To whomever reads 'tis passage, I beg ye to forgive the scrawls above. 'Tis has been several centuries since I last possessed a physical form and took pen to paper._

Those two single sentences shocked everyone into silence. Not one person dared to speak for everyone wanted to hear what happened. Was it Amanda that was possessed? If so, by whom or what?

_I ask thee to forgive my unannounced entry. I am Brother James, a Franciscan monk from a monastery that once stood on these grounds in the tenth century._

_I have possessed the Lady Kuwabara for she is too distraught to finish chronicling the most recent tragedy. 'Twas previously noted that we agreed upon to record the events of this cursed abode. 'Tis our intent to make several replicas once this tome is completed, then to take said duplications and hide them at the entrances to the home and land. The purpose to these plans are two-fold._

_Firstly, to gain the attention of any persons approaching them. Secondly, the books shall bespelled so that when a person touches them, we goodly ghosts shall be forewarned. It is our hope that if a person's attention is drawn to the book, they shall read the horror of what transpired within these lands, thus be warned. That is why it is of dire importance to inscribe these dark moments. _

_The gentlemen had demanded Lady Kuwabara to scribe as they continued to remove the barrier in that tunnel. The men had made a small opening at the top of and were working on enlarging it when a noise was heard further down the tunnel from whence they came. _

_The foreign monk, Kohaku, refused to wait and Sir Kuwabara agreed, he insisted that Kohaku use the opening first since the powers granted to him by his foreign gods could secure their safety on the other side. As the monk used those strange paper strips to ward off evil, Sir Kuwabara aided his granddaughters up the mound and to the little aperture. After reaching the other side, they slid down to the waiting monk. Sir Kuwabara was helping his daughter-in-law, the Lady Kuwabara, up the mound as the sounds neared. It soon became apparent that the opening the men had dug 'twas not large enough for the good lady. With her belly swollen with child, she could not pass through._

_The men had the good lady back out as they renewed their efforts of digging. When her sobs turned to screams, her father-in-law paused so he could look back. What he saw were four of the undead. Though they looked like animated corpses, they were far worse. They had a sickly pallor, elongated and sharpened teeth, hideously long tongues, their fingernails were lengthened and sharp as claws. As they came nearer, their true nature became apparent._

_They were ghouls._

_These undead foes dined on carrion, to be more exact, the flesh of dead men and women. If there were no corpses, then the fiends would use their surprising cunning to hunt a victim. There is one fate worse that falling victim to a ghoul and their subsequent dining on the flesh, and that is for the victim of a ghoul to rise up after death as another ghoul. If the ghouls devour the entirety of the body or a hero destroying the corpse will prevent such a fate. If the corpse is not destroyed, then the unfortunate victim will become a ghoul the following night._

_As the ghouls neared I was filled with regret that I am intangible and therefore unable to aid in digging a larger opening for the lady and her unborn son. Sir Kuwabara grabbed a broken length of a sturdy root and wrapped his jacket about it before setting it ablaze by means of the lantern. Standing before his daughter-in-law, he brandished the torch, holding the ghouls at bay. The monk's bellows caught my attention, causing me to look at the small passage that was dug to see the young Lady Jun had crawled back to our side. As I swooped down to her with the intent to demand of the child to return to safety, she had grabbed a stick and wrapped the shirt off her back around it. As Sir Kuwabara scolded his brave granddaughter, she used his own torch to light her own. As she told him to unsheathe the sword he took from the private study and set its blade aflame. I could hear the cries of her sisters, Ladies Shizuru and Misao as they joined in the digging, 'Twas at this point that I left._

_I did not flee, I am no craven. _

_I knew that I must fetch some of the semi-corporal ghosts to aid the Lady Kuwabara. She mayhap be wedded, to a foreign pagan no less, however she is still the daughter to the Lord of the Manor, Sir Adam Holmes. We spirits had watched over her since she was a babe, as we did with her father before her and his father's father. As a ghost, walls and dirt did not impede me. The only resistance came from the sinister spirits that arrived in the past months._

_I soon returned with assistance. The sight that greeted these eyes -- more ghouls had come in my absence. Sir Kuwabara and his granddaughter were brandishing their torches as Lady Kuwabara dug through the pile of dirt and rock. Her panic showed clearly in her eyes as the digging continues on the other side in great haste. Majority of the semi-corporals wasted no time and began to dig, whilst three joined the fray of holding off the fiends. The blazing sword that Sir Kuwabara used was effective that once it sliced through the fiends, the flames destroyed the flesh very quickly, even faster than the torches did. Perhaps there is some unknown quality of this blade?_

_In short time, the opening was large enough for the Lady Kuwabara ... as long as she laid down and crawled on her back. It was not yet large enough to crawl on hands and knees. But before she would use the escape, she ordered her daughter to go through. I heard Lady Jun argue with her mothers, she insisted that her mother should go first, since the child carried the torch that was aiding in keeping the ghouls at bay._

_The child's argument ended when one of the semi-corporal ghosts stole the torch from her as another shoved, nay, dragged her through the opening and to safety. As soon as her daughter was on the other side, Lady Kuwabara began to enter the hole. She laid down feeling the cold damp earth and the hard rocks on her back as she began to inch upwards. The tunnel was long, about nine feet from one side to the other. I followed her as she slowly made progress. _

_Within this tunnel, there no light. As her belly grazed the top of the tunnel, it blocked off any light from the torches that were being used against the ghouls. However, her daughters had some flashlights that some semi-corporals brought them. Why could we not see the beams from them? I went ahead to find out why and found that the tunnel was not as straight as I thought. It was at the point of four feet there was a boulder that forced the others to dig round it. It was due to the curving of tunnel that no light could reach beyond. I went to guide Lady Kuwabara around this obstacle. It was difficult for the lady. She would have first had to move her arms from her side to above her head, then twist to her side so she could navigate the curving tunnel._

_She was halfway through turning to her side when we heard Sir Kuwabara's cry of "Hurry, Amanda! I can't hold them off much longer!" For a few seconds, we heard nothing else. I hurried to his side. When I gazed down at the unfolding scene, I offered up a prayer for this foreigner. For now there were twelve ghouls down in the tunnel. The semi-corporal ghosts that could stand the rising evil energies and joined the fray could not hold back this many. In the most dire turn of events, a ghoul had managed to move between Sir Kuwabara and the tunnel and began to enter the space where Lady Kuwabara still crawled within. If Sir Kuwabara moved to intercede this fiend and protect his son's wife, then he would leave himself open for attack from the remaining eleven. Knowing this, he still choose that course of action. Rushing forward, he bellowed for the semi-corporals to abandon him and pull her to safety. _

_I watched as a torch fell as that spirit answered the orders. I could hear her panicked screams as the ghoul grabbed her ankle. Sir Kuwabara set the fiend ablaze with the sword as the spirits broke it's grasp and aided the lady around the boulder. She coughed as the thick smoke filled the tunnel and the semi-corporals took hold of her arms and dragged her quickly out._

_However, it was too late for the brave soul to crawl through. With the sword buried into the ground where he stabbed the fiend that tried to enter the tunnel, he took the torch to one ghoul, another attacked him, sinking it's teeth into his shoulder. As it dragged him away from the fire the was being fed by the previous ghoul's form, several others jumped into the fray. "Is she safe? Then forget about me you ghosts and collapse the tunnel!" was the last words that were heard from Sir Kuwabara. Soon I could see naught but a writhing mass of ghouls. So foul was the power of the ghouls that not one of the semi-corporal ghosts could come near enough to offer assistance to that doomed soul. Soon the unholy fiends stood and walked away, dragging the body Sir Kuwabara with them._

_I looked back at the tunnel to see that the others indeed had closed that path off. As I passed through the ground, I thanked God that the good lady did not have to witness the final moments of her father-in-law, nor the children's their grandfather's._

_I do fear that this will be her last entry to pen. I have asked the monk Kohaku to inscribe future events. Lady Kuwabara was too shaken to write these events. If Lady Jun's prophetic dream continues to be proven true, then the good lady is next to die. _

_TBC_

_Okay, I know there are some people out there will be confused on the ghostly monk's speech and how he addresses a person. No I will NOT be changing it to modern English, do NOT ask. Therefore, modern grammar does not apply to his speech, so don't tell me I made grammar errors unless you are familiar with Old English and know when to use the 'tis,'twas, nay, aye, and so forth. Brother James is from 10th century Old England, so yes his speech is different. If you do know Old English or know a site, please do tell me if I made a mistake._

_Since early century people put major emphasis on a person's status, their class and rank, I assume it reflects on how the address each other. _

_Adam Holmes is owner of the lands, so he is called a lord Lord Holmes_

_Akira Kuwabara has a good reputation but he does not own land in England, so he simply called Sir Kuwabara._

_As for the children, since they are youths and not married (maidens), they are addressed by their first name Lady Jun._

_Amanda Why does Brother James call her Lady Kuwabara instead of Lady Amanda? Simple, he called her Lady Amanda when she was a child and later when she was unmarried. In Brother James' view, it is disrespectful for a man to call a married woman by her given name, unless he was the husband or her family. By calling her Lady Kuwabara he is acknowledging that she is a married woman._

_I came up for the idea of the Reikai death ranks and ghostly categories when I was trying to find a reason why Botan would not be familiar with the horror of the books. I created the idea that the guides work within ranks, the guides are trained to deal with the potential of the ghosts becoming vicious. That is why Botan appeared so suddenly to Yusuke, why a guide pops up at moments of death, they want to reassure the newly dead and calm them. The more agitated they are, the more of a risk they will not move on but stay and become hateful ghosts._

_Even the novice Spirit Guide can deal with Rank 1, the quiet deaths. The elderly and sickly that have accepted that they are dying fall into this rank, they move on to the afterlife willingly, and do not stay behind as ghosts._

_Rank 2 is when the dying do not fully accept death, they may have tasks not finished or are still attached to a loved one. Also those who die while unconscious fall into this rank. They often make the harmless 'ghosts' that can only be felt or a ghost that repeat the same action over and over throughout time. These are not true ghosts but a portion of the essence, a piece of a soul that acts as a motion picture. Category 1, the weakest of ghosts are created by a rank 2 death. _

_Rank 3 involve the sudden deaths, where the dead didn't have time to register that they died. Most car accidents where they die at impact and quick murders fall into rank 3. Deaths in this rank can produce categories 1 to 3 ghosts. Most common is rank 2. These ghosts are able to possess people for only a few hours and they are completely intangible, unable to influence the physical world without possession of a living being. However, if they were in a strong emotional state at death, then they may become category 3 ghosts. An example would be a husband and wife arguing, only for one to shoot the other unexpectedly. Among the powers of a category 3 ghost is the ability to move solid objects. Many of the mild cases of poltergeists and other noisy haunting are in this category. They may move dishes or push someone around._

_Rank 4 deals with violent deaths that were drawn out long enough for the victim to know they are dying and create a large emotional store of energy. A speeding car out of control, a train wreck where they don't die on impact but later due to injuries. Kidnappers that wait some time before shooting. These types of deaths can create category 1 - 4 ghosts. The violent ghosts, those that injure the living, are category 4. They are the most widely known of the powerful ghosts. _

_In rank 5 are the deaths are prolonged and bloody and are caused by another person. These are the victims of terrorists and other murderers that take their time killing or are warriors that died in battle. Rank 5 deaths are always when the dying person has time to dwell on the fact that they are going to be killed by another person. While all categories, 1 through 5, can be created; category 5 , the strongest of ghosts are also the rarest. Centuries may pass before another category 5 ghost is created. The gods are thankful of that._


	13. Chapter 12

_Entry 41 _

_Written by Kohaku, Buddhist monk, on behest of the Kuwabara family_

_May15 Tuesday._

_I pray to Buddha for Amanda-san's soul and for the sanity of her daughters. As bad as everything has been with the others being murdered by kuro-yourei within twenty-four hours; today has been worse. The death of Amanda-san was worse because her daughters saw it happen. With the deaths beforehand, the girls only saw the aftermath; they did not see the attacks at the moment of death. However with their mother, they were only twenty feet away when she was brutally killed._

_Please excuse me for using my native Japanese. I sometimes forget to write the English translations, especially when tired. I shall try to remember that is most likely that English readers will be the most likely to read this. By kuro-yourei I meant dark apparitions, or what westerners call evil ghosts. _

_I find myself in the same situation as poor Amanda-san was in yesterday. I find it difficult to write of the events. Despite my reluctance I will continue to write. It is vital that we record the events do we can warn any future visitors of the evil here. _

_It was several hours after Akira-san's death when we rested outside the tunnels. After days of being trapped inside the house, we can finally walk under the open sky. That was only a metaphor since we were and still are actually under the canopy of dense trees. From our resting spot, we could see the manor. I was shocked to see the difference of its appearance since my arrival only two months ago. Physically speaking, it is the same. The aura of it though, that has changed for the worse. When I arrived with Akira-san on the first day of spring, I could see that this was a troubled house with ghostly disturbances. There were a horde of minor apparitions, not all were evil. Dark clouds only recently loomed over the house; the spirits associated with it were more powerful than the benevolent spirits that were her before them._

_This ... this Jyaki ... this evil energy is far different, far more powerful than that first hateful horde that caused the family to call for help. This shadow radiates with such evil that it chills one's soul. It is obvious to me now that the haunting of the Bogy House has occurred in three stages. In the beginning , there were the benign ghosts. Even if some were not the friendliest of spirits, such as the small one that would tie knots in the girls' hair, they were not evil, merely tricksters. This first level lasted most of the history of the family, judging by the Irate Monk, most likely generations._

_The second level, which started shortly after Amanda-san became pregnant with her son, brought the hateful ghosts who were more powerful than the ones that preceded them. These apparitions were the ones that tossed the family across the room, and bit off Yoshiko's hand. The most powerful apparitions of these were the one that manifested we first tried to escape and the spirits that sealed up the house._

_However, make no mistake, they pale next to the beings of the third level of the haunting of this doomed house, the ghouls, forsaken skins and that blood cloud that killed Father Mac Gavin. I am convinced that that explosion in the catacombs, just the other morning, in the hours before the sun arose, heralded the most evil of the apparitions and haunting. The fiends that killed Shoda, Mac Gavin, Akira and now Amanda were ... are in a much stronger class than all the apparitions prior to them. I cannot get rid of the feeling that there is something stronger out there, something that is ... what is the English word ... marshaling these horrors, ordering them to kill us. It is connected to the violation of the crypt of the okasan ... mother ... of Amanda-san. If I could only figure the puzzle out!_

_I will now explain the fate of the noble woman, Kuwabara Amanda. As we rested just outside the tunnel, we took in the sight of the woodlands and the house in the distance. The girls shrank back at the sight of the house, attempting to find refuge in the woods. Normally, humans find solace in a house and danger in the woodlands._

_Even though we were out of the house, we were not yet safe. The death of Akira-san in the tunnels proved that. We eventually turned around to walk away. When I first arrived I noticed that this was a large estate, but I failed to realize just how large it was as I rode in a taxi cab to the front doors. Unfortunately, the crypt was near the back of the house, therefore the tunnel led further behind it. The yards were nicely kept, but if we wanted to use the driveway to the front gate that was to the south, we would have to pass by the haunted house. Adam had difficulty getting poor Yoshiko out that way. Now that there are even stronger forces at work, I think it's best to avoid that area. Amanda-san said that on the west side there was a lake. To the east was a stone wall that's eleven feet tall, that has several secret doors. On the opposite side of the wall there's a highway. The northern side was marked by a stream that stretched from the lake on the western side all the way to the east where it flows under a bridge for the highway._

_Amanda-san began to lead us to the best choice, the northeastern corner, where the wall ends at the stream. There is a hidden door about eighty feet from the wall's end. If for some reason we cannot use it, then we could slide around the wall at the stream. Although it was daytime, the dense treetops meant that we had to walk in shades of gray, The wind rustles the branches, causing the shadows to shape-shift. The normal varieties of bird songs were absent. Even the crickets that normally found in the woodlands kept their silence. Or perhaps they left; I could not find any traces of either birds or insects. It was as if all life, except for plants who cannot move, were keeping their distance from the Bogy House._

_After walking for a time, it seemed as if our hearing became hypersensitive. Even Amanda-san and I would jump at the smallest sound of the wind moving through the leaves. I grew nervous once I realized that the wind had stopped but the sound continued. After all, many of the mortal, the still-living, creatures have left, unable to stand the evil that has begun to claim the region. Shizuru was the one to point out that there was a pattern to the sounds, as if there was something that was scuttling through the fallen leaves._

_We moved on, heading northeast when we came across blood on the trail in front of us. We thought of turning around and finding another path but the sound of something moving in the fallen leaves convinced us to move forward. As we went down the path, we came across some carcasses of some poor creatures. They were so badly mangled that I could not tell what they were initially. It was only finding part of a hind limb and part of a head that makes me think that they may have been either dogs or wolves. The gruesome find was mangled with bits of the flank was still hanging on and the paw was missing from the leg. The head was missing the lower jaw, left eye and left ear. It was obvious that the poor beasts were torn to pieces. I could not suppress the thought that this may resemble the slaughter field of ghouls. I prayed to Buddha, hoping that the creatures were not victims of ghouls. However with all the other undead beings that have arrived in the past two days, anything that killed them would be horrible._

_Jun and Shizuru continued to look through the books they took from Adam-san's library. Jun browsed the Libris Mortis, desperately wanting to find out what could cause the slaughter. Any corporal undead of intermediate power could be it. I noticed that Amanda-san was rubbing her swollen belly again. She has developed that nervous habit after we were trapped inside the house. But something is different. I noticed that her breath is more labored. It would be easy to assume that is because of our attempts to escape and to stress. However both too much physical activity and stress can cause a woman to go into early labor. At that point, if we stop, we will be killed. I give a silent prayer to help calm her and her unborn child._

_The sounds followed us for some time, increasing in small increments. We never heard any panting or growls, only the rustling of the leaf litter. Jun found an entry on corpse rats. The undead vermin is said that to be larger than the living relatives, a perfect size to move on the woodland floor. Shizuru feared that these corpse rats or even bone rats would be the fiends to kill her mother._

_What was ultimately responsible was equally horrifying._

_Now I am the one to get ahead of myself. I shall go back and tell the final moments of Amanda-san. _

_The sounds increased even more. Misao was the first to panic and began to run. We followed her. I would like to say that it was only to catch her and not have her get separated. Truth is that all of us panicked and started to run only seconds after the toddler. Amanda-san picked up Misao while Jun was able to keep up. When Shizuru tripped, I grabbed her arm and threw her over my shoulder._

_We were not prepared for what did attack us. I heard more of that fiendish rustling; only it seemed not to come from just one side or the other. I stopped everyone and set Shizuru down. Amanda-san had Misao go to her sisters as it became apparent that we were surrounded._

_I felt the evil before we saw anything. It was coming closer on every side. I knew that I had to break that circle if we were to escape. I had a difficult decision to make. I was - am - the only holy man left to protect Amanda-san and her children. It was obvious that when I attack the fiends, the others would swarm in. We were surrounded and I could not attack on all sides._

_I could raise a barrier against evil, but I was aware that it would not hold out for long against evil this strong. I already prepared to fight with all my abilities, even if it meant my death. Resigned, I gave some ofuda to everyone left, telling them to hold onto them. Then I quickly placed six sticks around the ladies and hung ofuda on them in hopes it would help some if I should die. Then I threw some different ofuda out into the shadows and raised a larger barrier that not only surrounded me but also the secondary barrier around the ladies._

_The thrown ofuda ignited the surrounding area in mystical flames. Not one tree or bush burned; instead it incinerated any evil that was caught in it. This caused the threatening creatures to attack in one massive swarm. It was neither corpse rats nor bone rats that rushed out._

_It was a horde of dismembered hands._

_There were hands of humans and paws of animals. There were even some clawed feet of birds and lizards. It suddenly became clear to me. The animals did not leave, but were killed._

_I heard Shizuru whisper with a shaky voice "With the luck we've been having, I guess that they're not as friendly as Thing on the Addams Family". _

_Jun screamed "You had to say something, you moron!", when as one entity, twenty of the severed limbs rushed forward. _

_My outer shield flared as it obliterated one gruesome hand after another. After a few minutes, there was a ring of dust and charred ground where the first wave of attack met the shield. As the lights from the flares died down, I could see that only took out a portion of the undead, animated hands. there was more surrounding us. I was taken by surprise when the ladies screamed as a dozen hands dropped out the treetops above us. Thank Buddha that my shield wasn't a wall but a sphere. These bubbles of holy power will prevent the evil from taking us from above or below._

_Wave after wave came at us, wearing down the outer shield. After what seemed to be hours but was most likely only one half an hour, the sheer numbers of the mass broke through the first shield. One paw jumped, its claws intent at tearing my throat out, it was turned away by an ofuda, only for another limb, this time a human hand, to replace it. It came so fast that I was not able to stop it. I went down on one knee, clawing at the horror that was choking me. More of the limbs attacked me, trying to hold me down. I could see that a large number of the limbs were attacking the second shield surrounding the girls. I tried to get up to help but more of the severed hands held me down._

_ A flash of light told me that the second shield was about to fail. I managed to stand up, despite all the hands. Suddenly, every hand around me scurried away. I started to run towards Amanda-san and her daughters but I noticed no matter how fast I ran, I was staying in the same place! Then a force hit me, slamming me into a tree. My feet were several inches above the ground and I stayed there, not falling to the ground. I could not move a muscle to free myself._

_The thought of 'She's angry' came to my mind. Even now I do not know why I thought that, but I trust my instinct. I am now certain that who or whatever is responsible for the third wave of haunting is or once was a female._

_I was still pinned to that tree, inches above the ground, when the second barrier failed. Amanda-san screamed along with her daughters. They each held on tightly to the ofuda I gave them. From my position I could see something moving behind them. I frantically tried to free myself, but it was useless. Whatever was denying me movement was not the same as the vile creatures attacking us. No, what was holding me was far more evil than we faced so far. I suspect that the evil that pinned me was whatever awoke the previous night, the same thing that is sending these undead to kill us._

_I tried to call out a warning but along with my limbs, my mouth was frozen as well. I could only watch in horror as vines, twisted with foul energies, snaked up behind the ladies and try to hit at their hands. Jun swiped at a vine with the ofuda, when the ofuda touched the vine, it withered away. At first it looked as if they would be able to hold off the evil for a time, but then Amanda-san screamed as she went down to her knees. From her panting and holding her belly, I believe she was having early labor contractions. She was not able to concentrate and a hand was able slap her arm, knocking the ofuda out of her grasp. Jun rushed forward to hit the crawling horror with her ofuda. _

_Jun's cry of "MOTHER!" made me renew my efforts in attempting to break free as a vine quickly wrapped around Amanda-san's left arm dragging her away from her daughters. Jun started to run to her mother's side when a disembodied voice spoke._

_"Run to your mother and your sisters will die. Stay with your sisters and your mother will die. Choose what to do child, in the end you will all die." It was low feminine voice that caused me to feel as if all hope was draining. My instinct said that was the same female creature I sensed was holding me suspended against the tree._

_"Stay with your sisters, Jun! Protect your sisters!" Amanda-san screamed as the hands rushed towards her. _

_Jun looked back at her sisters and saw that they no longer held onto ofuda and the vines were wrapped around them. Picking up her mother's fallen ofuda, Jun rushed to free her sisters. All the while we could hear Amanda-san screaming for the hands to get off of her. As soon as Jun rescued Misao and Shizuru, they turned to look at their mother. _

_I continued to struggle but could not free myself from the grip of a great evil. I wanted to yell for the children not to watch. I prayed to Buddha that something would block their line of sight but it went unanswered. We were helpless as some of the hands pinned Amanda-san down. there were some on each arm and leg and some had handfuls of hair. Others ripped her clothes, revealing her belly. _

_A tear ran down my cheek as the children screamed for their mother. I wanted to look away but could not. Hot tears now filled my eyes as I saw the first claw dug into her flesh. She tried to flail around and get away but the horrors held on with their monstrous strength. More claws began to dig into her flesh. Blood spurted forth as the abdominal wall was torn through. The forest was filled with her screams and her daughters cries. _

_One hand crawled towards her head. This one was different from the others. There were odd symbols tattooed on it. The deathly power of the markings were overpowering. It reared up and jumped on Amanda-san's forehead. As soon as it touched her flesh, it released it foul power. Within seconds, her life-force was ripped out of her body._

_Despair filled me as the light in Amanda-san's eyes died out. The hands continued to dig into the belly of the corpse of the mother until they dragged out the corpse of the infant boy. Then the hands began to grab hold of each limb, with the intended to tear them off. Suddenly ghost balls shot through the forest, coming in our direction. _

_They hit the hands that were in a circle around the girls. Then a eerie howling started up. As I looked to the left I saw what looked to be ghosts of a wolf pack running into the clearing. These ghostly wolves were semi-corporal, and started to snap at the crawling horrors. The orbs took form, revealing themselves as the Irate Monk, Abigail and some I've not seem before. Abigail ran to the hands that still held onto the baby. She transformed into a ghost ball as she neared her target. I was temporarily blinded by a flare of spectral energy. A second burst followed, perhaps a third as well. I can't be certain since the ghostly explosions left me reelling. As my sight returned I saw that there was no sign of Abigail or the hands that were trying to maim the baby. _

_Soon a different kind of cry filled the air. The first cry of a newborn._

_Suddenly the foul energy that held me prisoner vanished. I promptly fell to the ground. I crawled to stand on my knees, being held immobile by that energy seem to weaken my limbs. I was surprised to see that all the hands were gone and the vines had withered away. I heard the ghostly monk mutter "May God rest her soul." over Amanda-san's corpse. I looked over to see the ghosts of wolves stand protectively over the infant. Standing, I took off one of robes to wrap the baby in. _

_"Is Kazumaru going to be okay, Kohaku-san?" Jun asked quietly from my side._

_"Kazumaru? Is that what your... mother ... wanted to name your brother?" I asked in a hushed voice. Kazuo is a Japanese name for first born. Obviously, it's a reference that he is the first born son. After checking on the few scratches on the newborn, I nod my head to Jun. Since I was holding Kazumaru, I asked Jun to carry Misao as we walked away. As of now we are resting near the wall that Amanda-san said bordered her father's land. I have no idea where the hidden doors are or how to open them if I did find one. That means we will have to follow the wall until it ends at the stream. From the rock I am currently sitting as I write, I can glimpse through the trees some the rough-hewn rocks they used to build the wall. As we rest more of the good- aligned ghosts keep appearing. The ghostly wolf pack has not left our side. It's more like they haven't left little Kazumaru's side. Still though, I've not seen the child ghost, Abigail, since she saved Kazumaru. There's the Irate Monk, I will ask him. And how the infant was returned to life._

_I took a few minutes to talk to the Monk and found out why Abigail is not here. To destroy the clawing hands that were attacking the baby, she used all of her spectral energies, destroying them and herself as well. She was a ghost, not living being, there will no afterlife for her, she was already in it. There is nothing left of her._

_As for little Kazumaru, the release of energies is what helped him recover. How, I am not certain. I can only hope it will not affect in later in life._

Silence filled Genkai's temple, no one spoke. Botan and Keiko cried silently. Yusuke broke the hush when he whispered, "I … I used to joke around, saying his ma must have ran away because of his looks. It would make him so angry and I thought it was because I called him ugly. But she was killed. ... if I only known..."

"I remember hearing that once. He ...annoyed me, so one day I said that he was so ugly that his mother must have cut her own belly to get him out." Hiei's voice cut through the air, startling nearly everyone. "It angered him. The only time I saw him like that was after his match in the finals of the Dark Tournament. Kurama you remember the two months we were training him and we fought savagely against each other. It was not a training session for Kuwabara, he wanted to gut me. Now that I know why, I don't blame him."

"Hmmm," Kurama paused while trying to turn the page. "Odd, it seems that the pages are stuck to together." For a few minutes he tried to pry the pages free of each other until he felt some wetness on his fingers. "What the ..." Startled he brought his hand up to look at the blood that coated his palm.

"Kurama! Are you okay?" Botan rushed to his side to see if he needed healing.

Yusuke rushed to his friend's side. "What happened? That's too much blood for a paper cut!"

"I'm not wounded at all. So then where did this blood come from?" Kurama looked at his friends before he gazed at the journal. His gasp and widened eyes caused the others to look.

There sitting on the floor, was the journal where Kurama dropped it. From the closed pages, about a third near the end, blood seeped out.

Kurama picked the book up and opened to the pages before where the blood seemed leak out. As he thought, it was the last page that they read. This time the next page would turn. As he turned the page startled screams filled the room.

For once the page turned a fountain of blood shot from the page, causing Kurama to drop the book once again.

This time it stayed open. The fountain stopped and there was copious amount of blood on the book and pooling around it. Everyone stared in horror as the blood seemed to disappear as if the page absorbed it all. After a few minutes of staring at the now clear page, Kurama finally picked the book back up, attempting to read the passage. "If that was anything like the minor incidences they encountered in the journal, then I have to admire their ability to control their nerves. " Taking a deep breath, he went on. "This next entry in nearly unreadable. It looks like a child's handwriting but is smeared. I assume it was from tears, judging by the one line that seems to say 'I miss my mom.' The next page is legible but is only a few words."

_May 15, Jun_

_I d 't lik ting in this thin only doin for momma an nice ghosts sa 's imp ant._

_I mis my mom nd I wan er bac _

_Th ate Monk old me be car ul or mma may an s cries and get tra d here, like Sh nd Fat Ma vin. The hosts _

_show his mo g. _

THE WALL

STAY AWAY FROM THE WALL

_May 15, Kohaku _

_five hours after last entry_

_I am currently sitting on the highway that runs besides the brick wall borders the Bogy House. We finally made out of that horror. A few of us made out but so many died. First Shino, then Mac Gavin, Akira, Amanda and now ...now Jun is gone as well. I blame myself for the loss of the girl. I should have stayed awake, I should have fought the exhaustion more. _

_I woke up to a scream. I saw that Shizuru was cradling Kazumaru and Misao was next to her. When I asked where Jun was, I was told she went to 'go potty' but she also took this journal with her. I rushed in the direction I heard the scream which was near the border wall … or so I thought. _

_As I neared the wall, I could see another wall a few feet behind it. The first wall I saw was only little taller than a westerner, somewhere between six to seven feet tall and made out of strange pale stone. The wall behind it was much taller, was made of natural looking rock and stone and it stretched as far as I could see. The shorter wall was about twice as long as it was tall. I could not find Jun anywhere, but I found the journal. It was laying on the ground and it looked as if it was thrown. I searched through it. After my last entry, Jun's writing is badly blurred. But on the next page, there are only a few lines warning about the wall._

_But which wall? What danger does it possess? I could not sense anything, I readied a spell to look, but I heard Shizuru yelling about something coming. I ran to get the children. I lost Jun, I dare not lose another child. We kept a distance from the brick wall but followed it until we saw the stream and could slip around it. _

_We now sit resting on the highway Wait... I see headlights! _

_It is four hours later, late night and we are finally away from the house._

_I was right, but it was not just any car but a police car. Officer Wilde has told me that after Shoda and Adam brought Yoshiko to the hospital, the police came to investigate a possible child abuse case. None of the police actually believed the story of a haunted house until they arrived and the gates attacked them. Since then, the police have been circling the house in hopes we could escape. When I asked where Shoda and Adam were, I was told they are resting at the hospital since Yoshiko hasn't released yet. I have to remind myself that it has only been three days since we were first trapped inside. Once we reached the hospital, I had the sad task of telling them the fates of those who died in those ... or in Jun's case, disappeared._

_For Adam, he lost his only daughter and his first granddaughter._

_For Shoda, he lost a father, a wife and a daughter._

_I still shudder at the last sight of the Bogy House. As we drove on down the highway, we passed by the front gates. I saw several priests, rabbis, even a group of druids. I did not pay attention as Officer Wilde said something about a group of various religious leaders are trying to banish the evil. They won't succeed that way. I have been inside that house, I have felt the evil wash over me as it held me immobile. Such little trinkets will not work. I did not listen to what else Officer Wilde said. I was taking my last look at the most evil place I have ever encountered._

_I saw the house loom in the background through the wrought-iron gates. I could see the truth of the tale of the gates attacking the first officers to arrive. _

_It has only been three days that we were trapped inside the house._

_Three days since those first officers arrived._

_But there, on the gates, tangled around bars or with bars going straight though them, were the skeletons of men that still wore the uniforms of police officers. _

_Skeletons stripped of all flesh._

TBC

Author's Note

"... Most likely only one half an hour," I know that it would be better grammar to say 'most likely only half an hour'. However that was Kohaku's speech pattern. I wanted to show that English is only a second language for Kohaku, not his native tongue.

Here's a tidbit about my original idea for Abigail, the ghost of a little girl. At first she was going to be a devious evil ghost, pretending to be good but then reveal she's evil. After writing her intro I changed my mind and had her as the vulnerable child. I got the idea for an evil child ghost from a song from the 80-90's heavy metal genre. King Diamond would have their albums in a story format, each song being a chapter. The song that first inspired my little ghost was the song 'Abigail'. It was about a hateful ghost that possessed the pregnant wife of Jonathan. Abigail died falling down some stairs, later on when Jonathan and his wife lived there, Abigail's ghostly malevolence wanted to kill the mother and take the unborn child as its new form.

After writing the early chapters I decided that my own Abigail will have a different course. I thought that people will more affected for the poor ghost of a child that never became evil but still had some the child-like innocence but capable of inhuman rage.

If I wrote as well as I hoped then this chapter will shock and upset many people on several people.


	14. Epilouge

Entry by Father Tavis

Sunday evening of May 18

By Reverend Father Tavis

I have read this entire journal in one day. I hoped to find out what happened in that God forsaken house. I need to know what evil lies in waiting to claim more lives and hopefully find a way to fight it. Dear God in Heaven, Father Joshua Mac Gavin was correct in saying that popular movies cannot compete with the horror of this house.

I am writing this one entry for the Kuwabara family, for they are too distressed due to the past two nights. It has taken me a few hours to decipher Jun's last entry. Not only was there that ghastly blood that appeared then disappeared, the page was badly smeared by her tears.

Here is what I believe how the entry read before being smudged

_**Jun's Last Entry**_

**May 15**

**I don't like writing in this thing. I'm only doing it for momma and the nice ghosts said it's important.**

_**I miss my mom and I want her back!**_

**The Irate Monk told me to be careful or momma may answer my cries and get trapped here, like Shino and Father Mac Gavin. Their ghosts showed up this morning to talk to me.**

"Hey, we didn't hear about that before." Yusuke pointed out that discrepancy. "Do you think they showed themselves only to her?"

"Their ghosts may have shown to the others but with the murder of Mrs. Kuwabara then Jun's disappearance, this Kohaku may have forgotten to write about it." Keiko mused.

Entry 44

Saturday, May 19

-Shoda

The day that the first son comes into the world should be a joyous day for a father. But I have mixed blessings for that day. It broke my heart since my son's arrival was coupled with my wife's death. It was not the childbirth that killed Amanda. Evil spirits, blood-thirsty ghosts are what killed my wife.

They also killed my father and responsible for my eldest daughter's disappearance.

Amanda wasn't due to give birth until June 29th.Those unholy beasts killed her and caused my son to be _'born'_ 47 days early. Little Kazumamaru is about a month and a half premature.

I now know why Amanda would write in this journal as if it was a letter and someone's going to read it. Perhaps on some level she knew that she would not be alive to raise our son. I feel I would get an answer if I read her entries in this book of nightmares but my heart still bleeds at losing her, I can't read the earlier entries yet.

This journal first started out as a way to record the supernatural events around us. Now, it shall serve as letters to our children.

"Hello, Master Genkai," Greeted Kaito as he sat down with a box. Everyone watched as he pulled out two files and handed one to Kurama.

"I suppose that Kurama set you up to snoop and dig up information on the Kuwabara family, expressively a certain blockhead?" Genkai huffed, as she demanded more than asked.

"As matter of fact, yes. Both of these files are identical, Kurama, of what I have found out so far." Kaito needed no prompting as Kurama opened his copy. "You have been reading out of the journal that covers the months that the Kuwabara family was in the house, and they just escaped, correct? Well, they don't go into details in the official papers but it is mentioned as rumors that the house had a very disturbing haunting and the mother, paternal father and two holy men died while the oldest child disappeared and none have been explained to this day."

"That's about where we are. The 'official papers', you said. How about the 'not so official' papers?" Kurama asked as he picked out a photograph from the file. He examined the image of a grand house surrounded by trees. There were some faint images, about eleven in that photo. "Is this the Bogy House?"

"Yes, the infamous Shadow Manor. Even in that photo, it looks eerie, doesn't it?" Kaito commented as he pulled more photographs out of the box. "These are the same as the ones in the files but I thought that everyone would want to have a look. Don't just give them a glance; take a close look at all of them."

As the photos were passed around, Botan gasped and Koenma looked solemn. "Ghost photography. These photos have captured images of the ghosts of that haunted house. Most of you have _some training _on your spirit awareness. You should all, except perhaps Yusuke since when it comes to reikan he's the weakest, be able to feel the spectral energies that emanate from the pictures."

"Hey! Why pick on me? What about him?" Yusuke asked while pointing at Kaito, annoyed that he was singled out.

"Well, in all your training, Yusuke, you focused on increasing spirit energies and ignored your spirit awareness." Koenma grinned evilly. "To put it bluntly, your reikan is slightly stronger that it was when I returned you to life. If the level of your awareness was compared and categorized to the class system of youkai, it would be a low Class D, with Class E being equal to what you were before your first death; no awareness at all. Kaito's awareness is just a little higher equal to upper Class D since his training with Genkai allowed some time to focus on awareness."

Keiko spoke up, she was curious since many times she was left out of the meetings. "Koenma-sama, if Yusuke has the lowest reikan, then who has the strongest reikan?"

"That is simple." Genkai answered instead. "Kazuma has always had the strongest awareness out of the four, but since the Dark Tournament, he quickly became the one to have the highest awareness in Ningenkai, period."

"Even higher than yours?" Keiko was surprised at that statement.

"Yes," That one word answer was all Genkai gave as she looked at Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei. "I understand that would surprise Keiko and Kaito, but it shouldn't you three. Kazuma rarely gave obvious clues to his reikan. Even as his own teammates, you were not aware of the majority of times he would use his awareness. You should have paid more attention. Yusuke! Remember when you went to rescue Yukina, both Botan and Kazuma went with you. You should remember that not only was he able to lead you to her but before that in the forest he told you two to go another was around. However Botan disagreed, saying the path lead straight to the mansion, and so went on not listening to his warning."

When Genkai purposely paused, it was Kaito that broke the silence. "What happened?"

It was with an embarrassed sigh that Botan spoke up. "I fell into a trap after walking into a wire. Well I think it was more like a thick silk thread. But it ended up snagging my foot and yanked me up to the treetop where there was a massive spider-web and I got stuck on it. I wasn't able to move at all. It was Kuwa-kun that got me down by cutting me free."

Kurama's eyebrow rose at Yusuke's snickering. All Yusuke would say it was a funny memory of the sight after the danger was over.

"That was just one example of his awareness." Genkai didn't say anything else as she looked at one photo that had the ghostly image of three wolves prowling in the forest. However, what really caught her attention was not an image, but a feeling that there was something hidden in the shrubbery. "Here's a good example of what Koenma was talking about. The faint images of three wolves can be seen, but there's something not seen in the bushes to the left of the picture. Ghost photography works by the film captures the 'feeling' of spirit energies, when the film is developed, it can show images that the present when the people that took the photograph didn't see. It can also catch energies but not show an image. Focus on your awareness on the energies caught by the photograph to see if you can guess what's in those bushes. Don't tell what you think it is until everyone has a chance to look. That means you too, Keiko."

Everyone was quiet as the photograph was passed around for everyone to get a 'feel' of it. Botan dropped the photo with a gasp as if she was burned.

"Hey, Botan, what's wrong? I didn't see anything besides those faint outlines that looks like wolves but I did feel like a predator was there, somewhere." Yusuke stated as he waited for an answer.

"Well, you did good to feel that." Genkai prevented a grin from forming. Yusuke did have potential to strengthen his reikan; it would never be even half as strong as Kazuma, only with decades of dedication to training the reikan, could he reach a fourth of the power of Kazuma's awareness. Giving Yusuke's attitude towards training, that will never happen. He only dedicates himself to training when there's an opponent that is immensely strong, like Younger Toguro and Raizen, and that training is for his energies not awareness.

Genkai's gaze swept over everyone gathered today. No doubt that Koenma and Botan would know what's hidden in the photograph, but what about the others? "How about anyone else? What did you see? Hiei, can you feel it without the Jagan eye? Try to look at it with it unblocked."

Hiei didn't bother moving from the wall as the answered. "I can tell there's a predator there, just as he said. Only I can tell what part of the picture it's coming from and it's not from the bushes on the left side."

"I never said the negative energies came from the bushes, only that something was there. That was with the Jagan closed, how about open? Do you see anything else? Just tell me yes or no." Genkai gave a disturbing grin as Hiei huffed as he went ahead and removed his bandana. Genkai watched as the Jagan eye began to glow and Hiei took a second glance at the photograph. At Hiei's nod, Genkai raised a hand. "Before you say what you saw Hiei, I want to hear what the others saw." Genkai then proceeded to ask everyone, expect Koenma and Botan, what they 'saw' of felt.

Even Keiko and Kaito 'saw' the mental image of a little boy hiding in the bushes on the left hand side, only Yusuke didn't catch that. While Yusuke was able to feel as there's a threat hiding in the photo, Kaito and Keiko felt as it was on the right side. Kurama was able to pinpoint it down to a log but only Hiei, using his Jagan, was able to tell that it was a Forsaken Skin hiding under in a crack under the log.

"Genkai, I never had any training so how was I able to feel that from the photo?" Keiko wasn't the only on confused.

"Exposure to the rest of us can help awaken your awareness. It's happened around me once before. There was a girl that was sensitive to psychic activity in my class. Her awareness grew stronger in the year we were in the same class." Kurama didn't elaborate and gave off vibes to the others they were not to ask about the subject.

After looking at a few other pictures, the read the end of journal one.

Entry 45 - Shoda

Father Tavis came by to see me today. It's been one week since Kohaku had escaped that hell-house with my children. While I tended to my family here at the hospital, the holy men have gone over possible ways to deal with the former Shadow Manor, it's better to call that now-evil place as Bogy House. Despite the multiple attempts of various religious sects to exorcize the area, the evil persists. They have only managed to stall its spreading out further. Kohaku noticed that the evil stopped at the original stonewall and hasn't gone past it. Unlike the front gates, the stonewall has not shown any signs of corruption. I told both Kohaku and Father Tavis of a legend in Amanda's family that dates back to when the monks owned the land and a monastery stood on the northern part of the lands. It's said that the stonewall was erected by those Franciscan monks to separate the monastery from the local lands of a lord of ill repute. It's said they took the stones from the local lake and area, used holy water and carved holy symbols in the sides. Amanda always thought that the tale was just a funny story. But I now think they might be true.

It's been decided to make a massive wall to surround the house following the same methods those ancient monks used. There have been a calling to get many volunteers from many religions to help with this effort. Kohaku told me that there are many faiths represented that want to fight the evil. Along with building a stonewall that will eventually join up with the original stonewall, they will add copies of this journal to entryways after they add those spells that were mentioned before to draw attention to the books and alert the benevolent ghosts of anyone approaching the house. This will be my last entry to this journal, as I will turn it over to Kohaku. He has advised me that if there are anymore haunting, minor events or ever just plain odd happenings, that should start another journal. I told him that I already started a second journal while they were still trapped in the bogy house.

If there any adventures or merely curious persons that are reading this journal take the warning and DO NOT GO INTO THAT HOUSE!

Entry 46 by Kohaku's

This will be the final entry to this book. It has now been two weeks since Shoda gave me this journal. There are others standing guard saying prayers at the boundaries of the land as stones for the new wall are being quarried and cut day and night. Already we have laid the foundations for the additions. I will hand this book over to make twenty copies that will be individually blessed by many faiths. They will be placed at the five entry points of the finalized wall. The semi-corporal ghosts will take some and place them at certain locations within the lands and house.

It is our desire that the evil spirits will not be able to leave and follow the Kuwabara family. Even if that works, it doesn't stop other spirits from noticing the children's abilities. I have talked to Shoda about this and decided that I will not return home to Japan yet. I can teach the children some games that will help hone and train their reikan. Both the Kuwabara and Holmes families have games they had used for generations that work to that same goal as well.

I remember the evilness of the woman that sent that final attack that killed Amanda. That vile spirit is still out there, I do not think the terror was merely to scare us away or we could have escaped earlier. It is possible that more attacks will happen on the Kuwabara family. I hope to be there to help.

To any future readers I beg you to take heed of the events in this journal and do not venture into the lands or building of the Bogy house.

Kohaku, Buddhist monk


	15. final note

"YES!" Kuwabara screamed with joy as he ran into the room. "Urameshi, check it out. I got on the computer today and found that Katzztar finally returned!"

"What, she's been missing for a year or so now. You're just wishing she's back." Yusuke yawned, not at all believing it.

A thrown pillow was Kuwabara's response to his friend's lack of enthusiasm. "You wish! Check out the site. She edited and changed several scenes. I called her and asked what she was thinking when she changed my mom's death scene. Hell I think I was stillborn for a minute or two."

"What!" Now that news made Yusuke jump off the couch and make his way to the computer screen to re-read the entire story. It was a few hours later he leaned back. "Well, I see the little mistakes are mostly gone. The repeated words, misspelling the as 'the', double spacing, those are harder to spot. But I saw some changes to the plot too. Before Amanda was still alive as the hands ripped you out of her. You were crying from the start, not later. Huh. I wonder what that's about."

The tall psychic scratched the back of his head. "The only thing she would tell me is that she felt that the second arch was too boring and so she wanted to change it. After watching our full length movie she finally got inspired and thought of how to make things work. She had to work for a week to edit and make the necessary changes to the current plot. "

"Katzztar has this message for any fans of "In the Dark of Night" left:

I am working on the second arch of this story and hope to have it out soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Please give me your opinions.

Perhaps it will be today. Many are hoping that it will happen today. Far too long have they waited for it to happen. Has it been a year, maybe two years since they heard from her? Nothing has been said, but everyone knows that some people have given up, believing that she disappeared and will never return. A few people have caught sight of her whereabouts and heard her whispers in many story halls.

Finally, her voice was heard in her own hall, only to give an announcement. Many were disappointed that she hadn't told one her chilling tales of horror. Weeks past and the faithful and curious people who still came to the empty hall noticed a most peculiar sight; there was a scroll hanging in midair.

Hope filled many as they ran to spread the word. They sped off to tell their neighbors, family and friends. The hall was quickly filled as people came across the land for today must be the day. The scroll floating in the empty air had to be Her handiwork.

"Katzztar has finally updated!" That cry was heard far and wide.

The second cry of "Not another note!" followed as people finally got to read the scroll. Yet all was not lost, for Katzztar had named her next story and was asking for opinions of the type of story telling the people are interested in. She also gave them information of her tale. Read for yourself, scribe

_Hello, Faithful readers_

_As I previously stated I have started the next part of my epic, "In the Dark of Night". I have altered the ending, and added new elements. The original plot had a rather dry second arc that was to be told in diary form, same as the first arc. This story would tell happened to Kohaku, Adam Holmes, Yoshiko and Shino Kuwabara. Also would show where Kazuma, Shizuru and Yukina are. The third arc would be present tense as Urameshi and Co join up with their missing friends and finally end the ghostly threat._

_The problem I've had since finishing the first story is that I couldn't flesh out the second arc. I think of three or four chapters and that would be the end of it. My muse ran away with my inspiration. I read writing journals, (Writer's Digest is great) read horror stories, and finally watched the YYH movie again. They say the third try works like a charm. I have to agree. I got an idea to wrap into my current story, all I had to change in written chapters was one single scene for it to work with my new idea. _

_So I went and changed the scene of Amanda's death and Kazuma's 'birth'. And I just gave you a big clue for the future plot there. In the recent reviews, no one mentioned anything about that change. That one scene in the first arc is was ties into the third arc. There, a major tease._

_With that change, the original idea for the third arc is going to be condensed into the second arc, allowing me to flesh out that pesky part. What I need is some input from my faithful readers on the POV._

"_Dark of Night" was actually started as an experiment for me to write in journal form. It was still a POV, but allowed me to alter the POV to the person writing in the journal. One of the biggest mistakes we amateur writers make is having too many POV characters. For example some writers jump from showing Hiei's thoughts to Yusuke to Kurama. Think of the successful books, they don't do that. Harry Potter tells us what Harry's thoughts are but shows what Ron is thinking through his actions. A journal where several people write in is a tricky way to bypass that, and it doesn't always work. _

_ is more than a site to post rambling. It is a site that technically is to _help_ amateur writers improve their skills by allowing peer review. It is free to post and review the work of others here. _

_After reading "Dark of Night" please tell me how I did as far as writing. Don't say things like "Good story" and "I like it." Add why it was good and why you liked it._

_I have gotten some good reviews that state I did deliver a good atmosphere to the story. What about other elements of storytelling? What was the POV like? Where did I miss some corrections? Are the any 'plot holes' that damage the flow of the story?_

"_Shadow Chase" will be the title for the second arc. I haven't decided _how_ to tell it. Originally I was going to have as the second journal of the three books Kurama and Spirit World mentioned in the first arc, three books for three arcs. But I want to change that now. I am thinking about having the second book written a few years later teling the story of what happened after they escaped the house. But one problem comes up. Akira is comatose before Yoshiko disappears. _

_To get around this, My idea is that the second book is written by Kazuma during the three years his friends are gone. It will also tell why that painting disturbed Yusuke and Kurama in the prologue. (Hah, thought I forgot about that and would leave you hanging didn't you) So Kazuma is telling a story of what happened and how he and co deal with the hostile ghosts. As to how they hold of it; it stays as it says in the first chapters of "Dark" that Kurama found Kazuma's journal in the ruins of his house. This third book Kazuma writes in as a journal also covering time he worked with Urameshi. This one will not be part of the main story but act as a side-story of one-shots of Kazuma's thoughts through the years. The first book was given to Reikai agents by the friendly ghosts at the Bogey House. The second book in question …hasn't appeared yet._

_What luck for me, I left enough wriggle room to create with the new flow of the story. _

_Please tell me what you think of my new direction._

_.Katzztar_


End file.
